Steel Industry  Mr. Speaker, as Canada's steel industry suffers a severe downturn, its workers and employers alike have looked to the Canadian Steel Partnership Council to develop a critically needed national steel strategy, a strategy for steel industry security and growth. Given that the partnership council has recently collapsed, how does the industry minister plan to fill the vacuum, create a national steel strategy and save important steel worker jobs?

Steel Industry  Mr. Speaker, I am not sure the minister understands the desperate need for a national steel strategy. In my home town of Hamilton, for example, over 300 steelworkers have learned that their jobs could disappear when Stelco's hot strip mill is closed. Workers at Hamilton Specialty Bar have their 360 jobs on the chopping block too.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that. I know the member well and I have great respect for him. We served at the municipal level at overlapping times. However, I must say that we are having a great deal of difficulty on this issue when we listen to that kind of speech. Unless there has been a change, he is the labour critic.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  I was not on my feet.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  First, Mr. Speaker, to clarify again, I was not the one on my feet. I will take my lumps when it is my turn, but that did not happen this time. I will say to the member for Peace River, through you Mr. Speaker, as best I can from that rant, which really was not much different than the rant he was providing while I was trying to speak earlier and while other colleagues were trying to speak.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question for the simple reason that much of this is about health and safety. That is why choosing the final offer selection is so wrong headed. It is not going to deal with what are the working conditions. Let us keep in mind, whether we talk about people who work on the railway or whether we talk about them working on our airlines, anywhere where public safety—

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  Mr. Speaker, I am not sure I heard a question in there, but I will be pleased to respond regardless. Let me first suggest something to the member. If what I said before upset him, let me give him something to really get upset about. We took a look at this and wondered why the Conservatives were doing this so soon.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  I apologize, Mr. Speaker. I thought you were referring to the name of the president, which I think is in order, but in this release was the name of a member. You are absolutely right and I apologize. It does not change the argument but the point is taken. Mr. Clancy goes on to say: There is no compelling need for the government to intervene.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  That is not good enough if somebody dies on that train that goes over the embankment. I wish everybody was here to hear all the moans and groans at the suggestion that people could really be hurt. When a train derails that is a big deal because an awful lot of heavy metal is moving uncontrollably.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  You had your turn.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to join in the debate this evening. It is interesting that often the size of a bill is not necessarily reflective of the power or impact that it will have. This is one of those cases. Bill C-46 is not that lengthy a document. It runs but six pages.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  In spite of the heckling, I am going to continue. If members do not want to listen, they do not need to listen but the workers will have their say while the Conservatives railroad them into an agreement or a law that takes away their rights. I have news for the members of the Conservative caucus.

Railway Continuation Act, 2007  Here we go with the laughing and heckling from the Conservative benches. Anybody inside the National Union of Public and General Employees, NUPGE, who wants to know who is laughing while I am reading its national president's statement, just call the NDP office. We will be glad to give the names of those who think this is funny.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police  Mr. Speaker, fair enough but I would just say that there is no defence for inaction in this case. Sam Steele must be spinning in his grave. The government's ad hoc investigation cannot compel or protect witnesses. It will not report to Parliament and it is not even public. Yesterday, former Commissioner Zaccardelli acknowledged that the appointed head of the investigation had numerous professional relations with senior RCMP officers in the past.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police  Mr. Speaker, I think the Minister of Defence has an awful lot of nerve standing in his place today and saying that the reason he is running roughshod over a proper, democratic, full public inquiry is because he wants answers quickly. In fact, he said that he wanted answers “right away”, answers “quickly”, answers “now”.