Mr. Speaker, two years ago the Minister for International Trade stated, “It is time to turn toward...free trade in softwood lumber”.
At that time, the minister was clear: no interim measures involving border taxes or quota systems. Now it appears that he has reversed himself at least once or twice. We learned in February that the minister was considering an export tax, but then he stated in the House that he would continue to fight for “unlimited access to the American market for Canadian softwood lumber companies, on the basis of free trade”. Now we learn that he is considering again a quota system to end this dispute.
The government must guarantee that whatever interim measures are considered or implemented, all stakeholders from east to west will be respected and protected. In particular, the Maritimes and the independent remanufacturing industry may now be penalized for this undue delay. I ask the minister to make the concerns of these companies a priority as he comes to a conclusion.