Mr. Speaker, lumber jobs remain under threat by the unjustified U.S. tariffs, but workers are not hearing from the Liberals that they are making this a priority in negotiations. The Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance said, “We're deeply disappointed” by the Prime Minister not even mentioning lumber jobs in D.C.
Silence will not help the mill workers I met in Grand Forks last week. They told me they do not know how they are going to make their mortgage payments. The uncertain future of the mill is not just impacting forestry workers. It is impacting teachers, mechanics and the whole community. The residents I spoke with are not just worried about the loss of their jobs. They are worried about the loss of their neighbours.
Grand Forks needs the same kind of softwood agreement Conservatives secured in government and that the Liberals have failed to negotiate for the last decade. If the Liberals will not act for our forestry workers, the Conservatives will.