This is a very important question. The package that was announced and passed in the past week does not go to the forest industry, nor would it be appropriate for the Government of Canada to provide such a level of assistance, given our trade obligations under the Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement. The assistance is aimed at communities that are affected by restructuring in the manufacturing sector, with a particular focus, as I understand it, on forestry.
We at NRCan work in close partnership with the industry on issues of competitiveness, sustainability, and forest ecosystems. The aid package, which is very much on the minds of members today, is aimed at communities, not at the industry itself.