Roger Valley

[Softwood Lumber, June 16th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, some deal. At current market prices, this deal will leave our producers worse off than the current status quo. If the prices fall further, the deal will get worse.

Producers in Ontario predict a 20% job loss. Now Domtar has joined the long and growing list of critics. This deal is failing because the Prime Minister put his own PR scheme and rehabilitation of his trade minister ahead of Canada's softwood lumber industry.

Instead of misleading Canadians about the endless litigation when a final determination could be heard within weeks, will the government allow Canadian industry to secure some leverage and justice before we agree to go back to the table and not sell us out?

[Softwood Lumber, June 16th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's PR scheme to ram through a bad softwood deal at the expense of our producers is coming off the rails. As well, the U.S. Court of International Trade has denied a U.S. government request to prevent a determination on the case that challenges the illegal U.S. tariffs on our softwood.

With this ruling set to come over the summer, will the government do the right thing and assure our producers that any softwood deal Canada signs will respect NAFTA, its dispute settlement mechanism will respect Canada's sovereignty, and that it will get fair trade for our producers?

[Committees of the House, June 12th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, it is just Kenora. After many decades of being Kenora--Rainy River, it was hard to accept, through the redistribution, the loss of that part of the riding. The hon. member for Thunder Bay--Rainy River now has all the farms and I have all the rocks left in northern Ontario.

The hon. member spoke of negotiating right from the farm door and he spoke of the loss to the dairy industry. As he travels around the riding and is on the doorsteps of the farms, how much is the concern growing about the changes in the dairy industry? How much anguish is being created? What are the people saying when they are right on the doorsteps? They want to know about these changes. They want to know about the future of the dairy industry. What did he hear right at the farm level?

[Criminal Code, May 29th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the members over there would have us believe that crime is up and we know that it is not true. Crime is down. One of the effects of their propaganda is that it is terrifying our elderly residents, creating fear, scaring residents and is creating a basis for something that is not true.

We go door to door and see our constituents. Could the member let us know about the fear that is being falsely created? The Conservatives carry on with the propaganda machine they have set up. How does it affect the residents in the member's riding? It affects the ones in mine, and it is unnecessary.

[Aeronautics Act, May 5th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I noticed the theme at the start was to continue to keep Canadians safe. All governments strive to do that.

He mentioned things change from time to time and we will end up with better standards. We truly hope that is the case. Change is necessary. My riding paid an extremely heavy price for changes in technology. More than a decade ago, global positioning systems were in place and a horrific accident happened because they were so accurate and so good. Change needs to happen.

The hon. member referred many times to stakeholders. How will the government get that valuable input? Will it put resources behind talks with the stakeholders or will it bring them in? How will it work so the government gets the proper information? Will there be the necessary resources for that?

[Softwood Lumber, May 5th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, what utter nonsense. It is $1.5 billion for Washington and $1.5 billion for Ottawa. To add insult to injury, this tax was put on when the Canadian dollar was not nearly as high as it is right now.

Why will the minister not admit that the industries will only receive half back? Why did you sell out Canada?

[Softwood Lumber, May 5th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, we know the government left $1.5 billion of the Canadian softwood lumber industry's money in Washington. Now we find out that the returned money will be taxed. The government will be taking another $1.5 billion away from the Canadian softwood industry.

How can the government show such callous disregard? Will it commit today to not tax a single dollar in returned duties, or does the government have to run and check with Washington first?

[Business of Supply, May 4th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I noticed that in the first part of the comments of my hon. colleague across the way he wanted to point back a awful lot to the number of years the former government was in power, and that is fair enough to do, but then he went on to point out all the good things that the government was finally moving forward on since he and I were first elected to the House in 2004.

He talked about the issues of finally moving forward on a national child care program. I think I will quote him; I wrote it down and I hope I have it right. He said, “I think the Conservatives should have honoured the Liberals' plans”. He had an opportunity to do that. He blew it last fall. He made a big mistake by not supporting us.

Does he feel much better working with that crowd over there now? Or would he sooner have us back, where we had a plan on the table, where we were working toward something, where something was going to happen on our national child care plan? Now he is working with that group that is not going to do it.

[Forest Industry, May 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the House to recognize Canada's forest products industry, which has been an integral part of our country's economy for more than 300 years. The sector is the lifeblood of more than 300 rural and remote communities, accounting for more than 300,000 jobs in every region of the country.

The wealth that these workers generate sustains a further 600,000 jobs through the purchase of goods and services in Canada. The industry remains one of our leading manufacturing sectors, accounting for 3% of Canada's annual GDP, and is one of Canada's largest exporters shipping $45 billion of goods to markets around the world.

I rise today to salute this sector as it faces some of the most challenging economic conditions in its history. The rising dollar, stagnant world prices for paper goods, increased energy prices, and new competition from lower cost producers has cost the sector more than 11,000 jobs since 2003.

I call upon all parliamentarians to support this vital sector of our economy, and wish the industry my best in its efforts to overcome these present challenges and become the globe's leading forest products manufacturer.

[Softwood Lumber, April 27th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, we cannot tell if this is a flip-flop or a sellout. The sellout might curry favour in Washington, but it is not going to work in the Kenora riding. Northern Ontario took a crippling blow on the softwood lumber crisis. The Conservative government sold out to Washington for less than a victory.

Why is the Prime Minister's policy on softwood an unconditional surrender? If he ever shows up, when is he going to stand up for us?