Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary continues to blame the industry for the job losses.
Industry did not negotiate the softwood deal. This government did. The minister claims that the industry set the standard for the deal. Allow me to set the record straight.
The companies agreed to a reduction of 9 per cent of the 1995 exports of softwood lumber to the U.S., yet the majority of lumber producers had their quotas reduced by not 9 per cent, but 30 to 40 per cent. That is the problem.
Lumber companies are now demanding that the government cancel the softwood lumber deal. Will the government fight for Canadian jobs and cancel the softwood lumber agreement with the United States?