Mr. Chairman, this is the first time in my political career that I have witnessed a federal minister stand up and defend the rights of forestry workers in all of the provinces and in Quebec. I am not afraid of saying it.
There are nonetheless causes for concern. The question I am asking is not my own but comes from Ms. France Gagnon, of Barraute, chief executive officer of Précibois. Here is what she said:
As with previous softwood lumber disputes, it was critical that countervailing duties be applied to the primary mill rate. The American decision to impose countervailing duties on the final mill rate means that the non-subsidized primary sector is hit first, and hit hardest. It is a duty that could decimate an entire industry.
We are talking about an entire industry in the Abitibi and in Quebec.
Will the minister be able to exclude the value-added sector from the trade war immediately?