Finance committee  First of all, you're raising an important point, the manufacturing sector issue. I remember that the Standing Committee on Finance heard our evidence on the impact of the rise in the Canadian dollar. That was before 2008, and the manufacturing sector had already lost a large num

Finance committee  —people will be in a serious state of poverty when they retire.

Finance committee  I hope they said the same thing as me.

Finance committee  That's the current major misfortune. With regard to tax cuts for business, these are comprehensively implemented measures. We would prefer targeted measures that, for example, promote job creation and increased productivity. However, that's not what is being put forward.

Finance committee  No, we're not asking for the moon. First, I want to note that the Confédération des syndicats nationaux is a union organization independent of any political party. If it happens that we are in agreement with one of the political parties, whether it be the Conservatives, the Libe

Finance committee  Furthermore, with regard to the Canada Employment Insurance Financing Board, our logic is this: we would have liked there to be a genuinely independent employment insurance fund. You created a board; we emphasized that that was a step in the right direction, but it really had to

Finance committee  On that point, CSN would like the employment insurance fund to be independent and essentially administered by workers and employers because they're the ones who contribute to it. When the board was established, CSN said that was a step in the right direction, although it believed

Finance committee  That's roughly it.

Finance committee  When the Conseil du patronat du Québec, Quebecor and CSN agree, we call that “a consensus” in Quebec.

Finance committee  We're very close to unanimity. With regard to Canada's securities commission, what's the problem with the system we have right now? It's proven that the system, even decentralized, is more effective than many systems elsewhere in the world. If the federal government really want

Finance committee  That's correct. I add my voice to those of Quebec's other stakeholders who say there is a genuine risk. There is a strong financial sector in Montreal, but that sector is increasingly shifting to Toronto. In the long term, we're going to lose a lot of expertise, and that will be

Finance committee  That's mainly a problem in the specialized building trades. As the infrastructure programs rely to a large degree on these people and many of those projects are being carried out at the same time in the municipalities, there are currently shortages of plumbers, electricians and w

Finance committee  Yes. For example, sewer works are being carried out in the municipalities, and there are all kinds of other infrastructure works.

Finance committee  Yes, I'll be finished in one minute. According to a recent projection by the National Bank of Canada, if the Canadian dollar rises to US$1.02, the profit margins of five of the 19 Canadian manufacturing sectors will be reduced to zero, which will of course be disastrous for Queb

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is my pleasure to present to the committee the point of view of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, a union organization representing slightly more than 300,000 members. The government is pleased to say that the recession is over and that the