Senator Forest: Thank you.

All things considered, it’s hard to argue that there’s a level playing field for Davie workers, given that Davie itself is paying for its modernization with no help from Ottawa and that a lot of money went to Irving Shipbuilding.

Senator Forest: Thank you for the question.

I am very honoured to get a question from the sponsor of the bill. It is true that we have seen many countries do the same thing the United States is doing with sugar, for example. It has a supply management policy. It even implemented a subsidy for turning surplus stock into ethanol. Every country has the right to protect certain tariff lines, and many countries use that practice.

Hon. Éric Forest: Welcome to the Senate, minister. In April 2023, the injustice done to workers in the Quebec City area was redressed when the government announced that Davie would be added to the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Of the $840 million announced to modernize the Davie shipyard, $519.2 million came from the Government of Quebec and $320 million came directly from Davie itself. Ottawa did not contribute a single penny. A spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada was quoted in Le Journal de Montréal as saying:

 . . . all of the Government of Canada’s strategic partners in the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) must self-finance the infrastructure investments required to establish the capacity to build the ships included in their work package.

However, on August 9, the government announced that it would be giving Irving Shipbuilding Inc. $463 million to expand and modify its shipyard.

Hon. Éric Forest: Minister, when it comes to the major challenge of renovating and converting federal government buildings, are the municipalities partners that you’re counting on to develop a strategy? The municipalities have an enormous responsibility when it comes to increasing the supply of affordable housing.