Mr. Ghislain Fournier (Manicouagan, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, back home, on the Lower North Shore, there is no crab left. The people need help. Indeed, the economy will have to be diversified through initiatives already being contemplated. It is urgent to act by improving the employment insurance program. Will this government act or not?

Mr. Ghislain Fournier (Manicouagan, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, the people in my riding on the Lower North Shore are crying for help. All that they had left, their fishery, is now completely off limits. They need help. I presented the minister with a seal processing project with Tamasu, which is only waiting on a supply guarantee.

What is the minister waiting for to confirm this supply guarantee?

Mr. Ghislain Fournier (Manicouagan, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, the situation is critical. My constituents are desperate, as am I. I spoke with the minister about this project on May 1. He told me he was looking at the idea. We spoke again on May 5; he told me again that he was looking at it.

Today is May 8; what does it take? A decision needs to be made. What does he have to say to my constituents? If he does not care, if he wants to shut down the Lower North Shore, he should say so.

Mr. Ghislain Fournier (Manicouagan, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, the crisis hitting the crab fishers is spreading now to the plant workers, such as those in Chandler and the Lower North Shore. More and more workers will soon find themselves out of a job.

What concrete measures does the federal government intend to implement to assist workers experiencing not only a financial catastrophe, but also an unparalleled human catastrophe? All the fishers on the Lower North Shore are out of work.

Mr. Ghislain Fournier (Manicouagan, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, I have not heard anything like the remarks of the hon. member opposite since the 1950s, at least not often.

It is incredible that someone would make such remarks. I took notes. He spoke of the needs of employers. No argument there. We all agree. Businesses need to be productive, they need to compete and to compete in a global environment. No argument there. However, within a country, wealth is divided through negotiations and leverage.

You say that workers can bargain, but you will not give them the necessary tools. This is akin to sending troops to war without providing them with weapons, telling them, “Off you go; fight the war and get yourself killed”.

Strikes bother people. There is no doubt about it. We must be aware of that, and accept it. The dignity and respect of workers is at stake.

In your remarks, you spoke only of the benefits of businesses. As far as you are concerned, businesses have the right to operate, and they cannot stop. The workers have no rights; they cannot demand respect and bargain. That is what you said. It is shocking to hear such things in this century.

Do I understand correctly that this is the philosophy of his party as a whole, including the Minister of Labour? Is this how the Liberal Party looks at the issue? Are you abandoning the fundamental rights of workers to negotiate a collective agreement to ensure that wealth is distributed fairly and equitably? Is this your party's philosophy? Do your colleagues and the Minister of Labour endorse this philosophy? Was it imposed on you by your—