Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank your for your generosity. In reply to my colleague's question, I live in a region where there are many one-industry towns. The Bloc Québécois wants this program because it wants to support older workers aged 55 and over who are the victims of massive layoffs.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am going to be sharing my time with the distinguished member for Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour. I feel very ambivalent about addressing the House today on the Bloc Québécois motion on its opposition day. On the one hand, I am pleased to have the privilege of stating how important I feel it is to institute a real income support program for older workers that would apply to all older workers in all economic sectors in all regions.

Government Programs  Mr. Speaker, the report submitted yesterday by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development confirmed what public servants had already told the government: the EnerGuide program is effective and makes a difference in the fight against climate change. How can the Minister of Natural Resources justify the elimination of that program, which would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while the commissioner warns that urgent action is needed in this file?

Textile Industry  Mr. Speaker, the Gildan textile company announced this morning that it will be closing its factory in Valleyfield, resulting in the definitive loss of 200 jobs. The Minister of Finance has announced cutbacks, and an unused sum of $25 million intended for the textile and clothing sector will be cut.

Program for Older Worker Adjustment  Mr. Speaker, while the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development says that she is continuing to examine the feasibility of the Program for Older Worker Adjustment, several unemployed workers from Huntingdon are being told by a departmental employee that the program will be announced in two or three weeks and that he would be pleased to have coffee with them to celebrate.

Heritage Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today to Bill C-222 introduced by the hon. member for Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette in Manitoba, under private members' business. I am pleased, first, because I am the new Bloc Québécois natural resources critic and, second, as you surely know, I plunged into this bill quite enthusiastically.

Softwood Lumber  Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the assistance program proposed by the Bloc Québécois is not only to provide assistance to the softwood lumber industry but also to improve the energy balance. It provides incentives for production of biomass energy, mainly with technological innovations in wood chip processing.

Canada Transportation Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his remarks. In my riding, trains pose a problem mainly in three large cities: Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Beauharnois and Huntingdon. Three problems are especially serious: noise from marshalling during the day, in the evening, at night and on weekends; diesel fumes, which seriously bother people in their homes; and rail maintenance for civil security purposes.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, in August 2004, a ruptured pump at CEZ Inc. in Valleyfield resulted in the release of a toxic cloud that travelled as far as downtown Montreal and affected thousands of people. Today we learn that, at the time, Environment Canada had not double checked some information provided by the company; certain compromising documents had even been disregarded.

Public Health Agency of Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the parliamentary secretary for listening to my speech. Perhaps he missed half of it, I do not know. He arrived almost at the end of my speech. I can say, in answer to his question, that I think he is right; germs, bacteria and so on know no boundaries. This is an undeniable fact.

Public Health Agency of Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to participate in today's debate on Bill C-5, an act respecting the establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada. I would like to start by mentioning that I am a social worker by trade. I have worked in the Quebec health and social services network for 20 years or so.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his speech, which I listened to carefully. I believe he comes from British Columbia. I would like him to tell me whether in his province there is an ombudsman, a public trustee whose mandate is to protect the rights of seniors and other vulnerable persons.

Manufacturing Industry  Mr. Speaker, since 2002, we have noted a downward trend in jobs in the manufacturing sector. There have been some blips in the trend, but the situation has continued to deteriorate. Just last month, 11,800 jobs were lost in Quebec, bringing the total to 31,900 in the past year.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak this morning on the motion introduced by the NDP. This motion proposes to rectify decades of underfunding of programs for seniors and, in the same breath, proposes a set of actions to achieve that. Like my colleague, I am always surprised, not to say astounded, to see how centralizing an approach the NDP takes.

Agri-Food  Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food tabled in this House the first report of the committee, which calls on the government to limit imports of milk protein concentrates through regulatory means, namely Article XXVIII of the GATT.