Debates of May 15th, 2007

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to finish up a comment from my opening remarks. Had it not been for the Bloc, the NDP and the Conservatives calling an election in late November 2005, we would have had a much better arrangement for the forest sector.

We would not have caved in to the American demands. We would not have lost the tremendous progress that had been made in the courts, and in the NAFTA and WTO panels. The industry would have had a significant portion of its U.S. duties back in its hands by way of federal advances.

Let me conclude by saying that I am not sure what benefits the parliamentary secretary was talking about. My communities have not seen any such benefits. In fact, we are already seeing the American industry and government officials challenging already, before we are even two years into the deal, the terms of the so-called softwood lumber agreement.

When he talks about industry support, it was very begrudging. It was--

[The Deputy Speaker, Bill Blaikie]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade.

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the hon. member, it is fine to stand in this House and suggest that if the Liberals had had one more month, they would have brought together an agreement that was, in the member's words, superior to the one we brought forward.

This may sound repetitive, and I am sure members have heard it in this House before, but they had 13 years to bring forward an agreement.

The softwood lumber dispute had gone on for 20 years. This new government brought it to an end. This new government recognized that we were not getting anywhere with litigation. The industries were suffering. The communities were suffering. Litigation was not of benefit to either the workers in the industry or Canadian industries themselves. We put that to bed. We brought together a softwood lumber agreement that is working.

[The Deputy Speaker, Bill Blaikie]

A motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:45 p.m.)