Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Ng, for your presentation.
Honestly, I get the impression that softwood lumber is often used as a bargaining chip in trade agreement negotiations. I'll tell you why I get that impression.
Not too long ago, as part of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement, or CUSMA, Canada's chief negotiator appeared before our committee. I asked him why the softwood lumber issue hadn't been addressed. He told us that it wasn't a priority for them at that time. Canada's chief negotiator told us this.
Also not too long ago, when I was talking to him about softwood lumber, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, as part of the study of Bill C-18, told me personally that trade agreements involve compromises. This leads me to believe that, when Canada negotiates trade agreements with the United States, compromises are often made with regard to softwood lumber.
I get the impression that you've never really fought to ensure that our American neighbours respect this industry. I'd like you to tell us more about this.