Thank you.
Mr. Wallace.
Evidence of meeting #30 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was forestry.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #30 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was forestry.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
Thank you.
Mr. Chevrette, is your organization part of the Forest Products Association of Canada? Does your association belong to that association or is it completely separate?
4:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Director, Director of Communications, Quebec Forest Industry Council
All of our big members, like AbitibiBowater, Domtar, Kruger and Tembec, belong to the FPAC.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
You mentioned the softwood lumber agreement. You said you were happy that it was in place, and that Minister Emerson and the Conservative government made it happen. Could you tell me what you think the industry would look like today if we didn't have the agreement in place?
4:25 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Director, Director of Communications, Quebec Forest Industry Council
Actually, it doesn't change much, because of the cyclical crisis. Whether or not we had an agreement, it doesn't get houses built in the United States and it doesn't change the rate of the Canadian dollar. But we have no penalty for the little wood that is getting in at present. Instead of paying $22 in taxes, we are paying $5.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
The value of the dollar is a big driver in the problems your industry's facing.
March 12th, 2008 / 4:25 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Director, Director of Communications, Quebec Forest Industry Council
Every cent represents $50 million in losses for the Canadian industry. You can imagine the loss we have suffered. When I took office three years ago, the dollar was at 71¢. Now it's at par, if not higher. It's a tragedy.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
Mr. Coles, I heard you say that you're not blaming the current government, that it's been around for a while. The United Steelworkers in the National Post said basically the same thing. The crisis didn't start with the Conservative office. The Liberals had 12 years to deal with it.
But tell me, why are you asking government to have the symposium? Why is the industry not having the symposium and inviting government? Why are you always looking to us to do it instead of you? Industry could get together, invite us, put all the bright people in the room, and then ask us to come and discuss all the good ideas. Why not that way? Why the opposite way that you suggest?
4:25 p.m.
President, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
We're trying both ways, actually. I am meeting with the CEOs of every major corporation in Canada and pushing those ideas as well. Fundamentally, the federal government is responsible for foreign trade and all the trade issues. You can't have the parent there and have the kids running around trying to make the family work.
4:25 p.m.
President, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
Well, I'm afraid, sir, that's not the way it works in my house.
You need to have one who holds the purse strings and one who has the law on trade and the issue of responsibility across provincial jurisdictions. We'll try to do it, if the industry will come together, but the government has to be there and it has to be there in spades.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
That's all, Mr. Wallace.
With that, we're going to close the question and answer period. We want to thank the witnesses for coming forward.
I do want to say the industry, the forest industry particularly, is going through the perfect storm, with the slowdown in the United States market, the rise of our dollar compared to the United States dollar, which has a major impact, and also the pine beetle issue. I just had news this morning on the pine beetle issue that up to 98% of the beetles have been killed because of the attack from the weather. I just wanted you to have that information as you leave.
Thank you for coming forward, and thank you for the questions.
We'll now ask you to retreat from the table.
We have one quick motion that we want to deal with here. Mr. Crête, the floor is yours if you want to introduce your motion.
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
The text of the motion seems to me to be complete. I don't think we need to have a very long debate on this question, unless someone wants to move a quick amendment. Otherwise, I would like...
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Chair, I am going to move a quick amendment.
I move that we add a last line that would read as follows: “tenir un sommet pancanadien sur la forêt”, in the French version. In the English version, it would be
“hold a pan-Canadian forest summit”.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Okay? So we have an amendment on the floor that is seen as a friendly amendment, so we'll go back to the main motion. We have a friendly amendment. Everyone is clear on it? Everybody understands it? I got in trouble before for going too fast, so we will reread that.
Mr. Wallace.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
I know it's an amendment, but I might have some sympathy for it if it wasn't attached to the full motion. So my question to the mover is, if it happened to fail, would he be moving it as an individual motion?
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
We wouldn't see it as an individual motion. If it's defeated here, it's over. We would not be able to.... You'd have to have a notice of motion to be able to do that. That's the explanation of it.
We will repeat the amendment.
Mr. Mulcair.
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Chair, the amendment is to add a final line. In the French it would be
“hold a pan-Canadian forest summit”.
And in the English it would be “hold a pan-Canadian forest summit”.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
As the last bullet, right? Fair enough. Everyone's clear on it?
4:30 p.m.
An hon. member
No.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
We have an amended motion that has been accepted by the mover. I see no debate.
(Motion as amended agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I'll report it to the House tomorrow. That was a friendly amendment.
Thank you very much.
We will now recess for a moment while we ask the minister to come forward.
4:33 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
We have our witnesses here. We'll ask our members to take their seats and we'll call the second part of the meeting back to order.
I'll just remind the committee that bells are supposed to ring at quarter after, so we have an abbrieviated time. Hopefully we can get to the answers we are looking for.
This is a briefing on a remission order for certain former employees of SDL Optics, Inc. That's what we're here to discuss. It's pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and a motion adopted by this committee on February 11, 2008. We have Minister O'Connor of National Revenue here to answer these questions.
Point of order, Mr. Del Mastro?
4:33 p.m.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Before the minister makes his statement, I'd just like to raise an issue that is before the committee. Mr. Turner's motion that we're here to discuss today refers to a remission order for a company called SDL Optical. To the best of my knowledge, there's no company by this name. There is a company called SDL Optics. I assume that's the company Mr. Turner intended to study. I suppose we should seek consent by the minister to consider discussion of SDL Optics in this study, as opposed to SDL Optical.