Mr. Chair, let me say for the member for Pitt Meadows--Maple Ridge--Mission that I am not privy to this kind of discussion. I am not at all sure that it is going on. I do not think that it would be right for that to happen because we have to look at the remanners as a pretty important segment of our industry that is adding value to raw material.
As the member opposite mentions, they are non-tenured so they would presumably be getting logs and raw materials in the auctions, the log markets, so by the Holy Grail of the United States, given that it is an auction there could not possibly be any subsidies according to the American standards.
The member makes a good point: that the government should try to treat that sector a little more carefully. I know that during previous countervailing duty episodes the dimension lumber industry tried to be a little creative by putting holes in 2x4s and presenting them as value added products. The U.S. reacted negatively to that, but the industry the member is talking about is doing much more than that.
The remanners are adding considerable value. I think the government should recognize that and recognize the fact that for U.S. producers, whatever action they think they have, it is really coming out of the U.S. commodity, out of dimension lumber producers. I do not think it is coming from the value added sector, if there is any in the United States. I think the government should try to be mindful of that and take the necessary measures.