Mr. Speaker, the government stepped things up a notch yesterday in preparation for the continuation of discussions on softwood lumber. The Minister of International Trade promised to tell President Bush's envoy exactly where we stand on this issue.
The Prime Minister promised to telephone the U.S. president and remind him that free trade had to apply to lumber too.
On the subject of notches, at his meeting today, did the Minister of International Trade get out his big stick and make it very clear to the Americans that their protectionism is creating a lot of annoyance in Quebec and Canada? Otherwise, will the Prime Minister deliver this message to President Bush?