Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his excellent speech, which of course I listened to very carefully.
I will be happy to respond to the hon. member's question. Our government's investment in the pulp and paper green transformation program is one of the many steps we have taken to support forestry workers in communities right now, while securing a stable and competitive sector for the future. This program allows pulp and paper mills across Canada to further reduce their environmental footprint, while establishing themselves as world leaders in renewable energy production. The example of funded projects mentioned by my colleague demonstrates that this program is delivering real results for communities, for Canadians and for the forest industry as a whole.
I would like to take this opportunity to mention that we are also building on past investments to drag the industry toward the next generation of renewable energy products and processes.
In addition to the pulp and paper green transformation program, $170 million is being provided to help our forestry industry develop new products and processes and capitalize on new market opportunities.
The $100 million recently announced in budget 2010 will help accelerate the development of new technologies to create a more diversified and stronger forest sector that offers a range of new, high volume products in the form of renewable energy. This clearly shows that our government is looking to tomorrow's markets today, working now to drive growth and ensure that Canada emerges a leader in the clean energy economy of tomorrow.
We understand the importance of Canada's forestry industry to local communities and our national economy. The record shows that right from the beginning our government has taken decisive action to assist Canada's forestry industry, while recognizing its important role in tomorrow's bio-economy.