Mr. Speaker, in my capacity as the Opposition critic for natural resources, I attended the standing committee meetings along with my colleagues from the ridings of Abitibi and Anjou-Rivière-des-Prairies. After hearing from a number of witnesses, we quickly realized that the problem raised in committee was caused primarily by the bad publicity in Europe about forestry products from British Columbia.
We were sensitive to the forestry sector's significant contribution to Canada and to Quebec, to the problem of marketing forestry products on the international scene, and to the impor-
tance of sustainable development as a touchstone to guide action by all parties in the forestry sector.
The Bloc Quebecois has tabled a dissenting opinion for the following reasons. First, because the federal government intends to adopt a centralist approach in order to mediate a problem concentrated in one province. Second, since the Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes the provinces' jurisdiction over the development, conservation and management of forestry resources, any action by the federal government would require a prior mandate from the provinces.
Bloc Quebecois MPs nevertheless consider that it is their responsibility to promote the interests of Quebec and the provinces in certain areas, particularly federal-provincial agreements, the rights of aboriginal peoples, the national certification process, and Canada's international forest strategy.