CHRIS IN QUESTION PERIOD: Standing up for worker's pensions and wages

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, in its budget bill, the government launched an attack on pay equity, environmental assessments and the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers, including wage rollbacks to the RCMP and the Canadian Forces.

It now appears that workers at General Motors are next in the line of attack. GM is describing its pension liabilities as crippling but the Minister of Industry is refusing to protect workers and the pensions they have worked so hard to build.

Will the minister stand up for GM workers by protecting their pensions or is he simply going to turn his back on them?

Hon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, only the NDP would think that it is adequate or beneficial public policy to have the taxpayers of Canada save the pensions of one set of workers when we, in fact, are doing the right thing and supporting the restructuring of the industry to ensure the industry is there for its workers and for consumers in the future. That is our position. It should be their position.