Mr. Chair, my hon. colleague from Sydney--Victoria has family in the great riding of Dartmouth--Cole Harbour and I have a reasonable assurance that they vote Liberal, so I appreciate his understanding of my riding.
This is not a rural Canada or urban Canada issue, an eastern Canada or western Canada issue. This is an issue of fairness and it is an issue that matters to all Canadians. Canadians understand that. On a personal note, I think Atlantic Canadians in particular understand this. The Atlantic Liberal caucus, and I am sure it is the same with the Atlantic Conservative caucus, which is reasonably small, and the Atlantic New Democratic caucus in that they speak on issues. When I speak of employment insurance for seasonal workers, it does not affect people in my riding very much, but it affects Atlantic Canada. What is good for the economy of Atlantic Canada is good for me, not to mention the fact that people in urban settings build houses and use lumber. This goes beyond being an urban or rural issue.
In the United States we are now beginning to get a lot of support from consumer associations and lumber associations because of the need for lumber.
This is an issue for Canada. It is not an issue just for urban Canada or rural Canada. It is an issue for all of Canada. It is an issue on which Canada has a unified position. We believe in free and fair trade. We believe NAFTA must be respected. We believe the $5 billion should be returned. We need a long-standing and durable solution to the softwood lumber dispute.