Telecommunications Industry  Mr. Speaker, regarding telecommunications, this government has outlined its policy before Parliament and before the committees of the House. I would like the Bloc Québécois to work with us for once, to ensure that this policy is passed by Parliament as soon as possible.

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, as everybody knows, it is the mark of this government to act, so yes, we will act. I am going to have consultations with the automobile sector this week. Tomorrow I am going to be in Toronto and we are going to have consultations. We are going to listen and we will act.

Intellectual Property  Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce in this House that, in a few weeks, the government will fulfill another promise: to consult scientists about a new science and technology platform. Following these consultations, we will have a new strategy that will become a reality in the next budget.

Manufacturing Sector  Mr. Speaker, we believe strongly in creating a fiscal environment that is favourable to all companies in Canada and that is what we did in our last budget. We made over $20 billion in tax cuts that apply to companies and to Canadians. This will leave more money in the pockets of the companies, more money for modernization and more money for competing with the best companies in the world.

Aerospace Industry  Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of empathy for the workers who have lost their jobs. That being said, we have nothing to learn from the Liberals. Four days before the last election was called, they announced a so-called plan to help the aerospace industry, but the plan was nothing but a political ploy to buy votes and to fool Canadians.

Aerospace Industry  Mr. Speaker, the previous Liberal government spent 13 years squandering public funds and filling its own election coffers. For 13 years it did nothing for the Montreal aerospace industry. The time has now come to take action. This government will ensure that there are $13 billion in economic benefits in Canada for the aerospace industry.

Older Workers  Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier the minister, Ms. Courchesne, said that we have developed a program that applies to many workers in the industry and will be very useful to the forest industry. And she is not the only one, because the president of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, Claudette Carbonneau, said that this was a legitimate program, with legitimate retraining measures for workers.

Older Workers  Mr. Speaker, we are concerned about the fate of the women and men who work in the textile industry. This program is very flexible and reflects this new government's open federalism. The Government of Quebec will decide on the applicability criteria for this program. In addition, the program will be tailored to Quebec's needs.

Older Workers  Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the Bloc Québécois that in its 2000, 2004 and 2006 election platform it called for an older worker adjustment program.

Older Workers  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce in this House that Quebec is participating in our program. If you have not read the papers today, I can tell you that the minister, Ms. Courchesne, has said that the program: —is a valuable program for many of the workers affected by the crisis in the forest industry— Therefore the Government of Quebec is behind our program.

Older Workers  The Bloc Québécois was an ineffective opposition when it came to getting a program for all those years, and it was just as ineffective in successfully standing up for the interests of Quebec. The Bloc Québécois and the Liberals failed to deliver the goods. It took a Conservative government to get things done, and it takes a Conservative government to stand up for the interests of Quebec.

Older workers  Mr. Speaker, the information that the hon. member for Outremont has is contradicted by what the Quebec government just told us moments ago, namely that it is going to take advantage of the program and that this is an interesting initiative for Quebec workers. I want to ask the hon. member for Outremont what his government's priorities were?

Older Workers  Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is trying to say that people 55 and older can no longer contribute to Canadian society. This is not what the Mouvement des aînés du Québec is saying. Those individuals can take part in Canadian society. I have confidence in people, in individuals, and I know that people over 55 deserve to work and deserve our support to find work.

Older Workers  Mr. Speaker, today we are telling all older workers, including those in the Gaspé Peninsula, that we have implemented a program. We will work together with the province of Quebec and we will respect its priorities. The province will decide which community will benefit from the program.

Older Workers  Mr. Speaker, I am still trying to figure out the Bloc Québécois position on this new initiative that we announced yesterday. In fact yesterday the Bloc Québécois member for Sherbrooke said, and I quote: This program gains something for the forestry industry and the textile industry.