Mr. Chair, I am a little surprised to hear from the parliamentary secretary this evening at 8:20 p.m., because personally, I do not share her legendary optimism. She literally wears rose-coloured glasses. As if all were well; as if all were well.
When the people of Huntingdon are facing a crisis, she has the nerve to tell us that she herself has announced pilot projects in Ahuntsic. The reality is that the crisis is in Huntingdon, not Ahuntsic.
I am also surprised to see her show such optimism; she and I are members from Montreal. There are 110 companies in my riding, which employ 4,000 people, including two major companies with 900 and 1,000 employees each. When the member says that all is well in Montreal, I must remind her that, in 2003, a study was conducted by the CRDIM, which set job losses for Montreal's textile industry at 4,052. It is not true that all is well.
Pilot projects are being announced in the hon. member's riding, but the crisis in Huntingdon could very well occur in the riding of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. Furthermore, the study in question indicates that:
—the transition process, it is also possible for Canada, or for any other country, to demand clauses setting out additional quota restrictions if national production activities are threatened... Between 1995 and 1998, these so-called “special safeguard” clauses were used 44 times, but never by Canada.
So, does this not demonstrate that the federal government has not used all means at its disposal to avoid the crisis facing Huntingdon and that could affect other ridings and other people in Quebec? When the member says there are pilot projects in her riding, she is not telling us that these projects are inadequate. Why not? Because there are no passive measures for workers in the pilot projects.
Could the government not have made an effort over the past 10 years to avoid this crisis, a situation that is totally unacceptable for the people of Huntingdon but that could spread throughout Quebec?