Herb Dhaliwal

[Export and Import of Rough Diamonds Act, October 10th, 2002]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-14, an act providing for controls on the export, import or transit across Canada of rough diamonds and for a certification scheme for their export in order to meet Canada's obligations under the Kimberley Process.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know how the system works.

This is a contract that is put out by Public Works and Government Services Canada. As the hon. member and members across know, I have a number of businesses and they are in trust but they continue to operate. All contracts are done through the normal process. Public works puts them out, not natural resources.

[The Environment, June 6th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I have indicated to the press and members in the House that this is something we are looking at seriously but we want to ensure that we have consultations with the provinces and industry.

On renewable resources, we just announced $260 million on wind energy, and we are looking at a variety of other projects. We are doing our part. In fact we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure that we take a lead role on climate change as well as on the environment.

[The Environment, June 6th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the views of the hon. leader of the NDP. We are looking at opportunities of a mandatory ethanol blend. It is something that we are exploring at this time. It would help to reduce pollution and deal with greenhouse gas emissions.

However I want to ensure we have consultations with all provinces and industry, which I have been doing, to ensure we do our homework on something that is an important area that we should consider.

[Supply, May 28th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize the effect in the hon. member's riding, the whole Nanaimo area and the coast, where we produce high end lumber products, high end cedar products. They are affected more than any other part of the province of British Columbia or the country because they produce premium products. They are affected by the 27% tariff more than other areas. I am very much aware of that.

The idea he has put forward in terms of loan guarantees to support the mills that can continue to operate even under these difficult circumstances is an option we should look at. It is an option the government will review.

If the opposition members are very serious about this, then let them put forward a detailed proposal as to exactly how to do it. I have not seen that from them. Rather than just make general comments, let us see the specific proposals they want to put on the table. We are willing to listen. We want to make sure that we respond. If they want to really participate, let them put something on the table.

[Supply, May 28th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I was at the summit. Clearly, if the member would look back at the press conference and the stories, a couple of very important themes came out of the summit.

One is market diversification. I think the hon. member will agree there was a very strong consensus at that meeting that we need to develop new markets. We need market diversification. This is something the industry has applauded. In fact people in the industry said they had been working on this and it is extremely important for them. It will leverage new money because the $35 million we have put in will be matched by the industry. We are looking at anywhere between $70 million to $100 million over the next five years that could be put in. That was something extremely important. There was a very strong consensus on that.

The other point that was agreed to at the summit was we need to put more money into research and development. That is what we have done. In addition there was very strong support for advocacy programs. We have done that.

Are there other things we need to do? Absolutely. We need to go beyond what we have done. We need to look at long term measures to make sure we are competitive. We need to look for new markets. We need to look at other programs to help the industry, the community and those people who will find difficulty.

The government is looking at those options. We certainly want to take in any views the opposition members have on specific proposals they think the government should carry out. I would like to hear those specific proposals. I have not heard them. They have said we need to help, but they should give us specific proposals. What can we do for communities? What can we do for individuals? What about the industry? Give us some specific proposals. We are looking at it. We are reviewing it. We are very much engaged in this and we want to respond to Canadians who will be hurt by the protectionism of the Americans. The opposition talks about the Americans all the time and how they believe in free trade. The Americans talk about free trade but their actions show otherwise.

[Supply, May 28th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to rise in the House today to speak on the issue of American protectionist policies as they relate to softwood lumber.

Many Canadians and the communities in which they live are directly affected by the punitive duties imposed by the United States. I want to assure them that the Government of Canada will continue to press a strong case under the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization.

Resolving the softwood lumber dispute is a priority for the government. As I said in the House a few weeks ago, we must look at not only the short term support but also long term support, such as stronger political advocacy to the American public, market diversification to make us less dependent on the U.S. market, and more research and development to help deal with these issues.

We all understand that in the long term we must develop new markets. We must make sure that we have value added products. That is why on May 16 this year the federal government announced an investment of almost $75 million toward three new measures that will help secure the long term prosperity and competitiveness of Canada's forest products industry.

At the B.C. softwood summit I attended in Vancouver on May 6, we received the following strong and consistent messages. First, the development of new markets is key and we should focus on Asian markets such as China, India, Korea and Taiwan through wood marketing and government to government engagement. Second, research and innovation are important, not only for the value added sub-sector but also for sustainable forest management.

We have listened to our partners, the industry, the provinces and individual Canadians, and the initiatives that the Government of Canada is taking focus on diversifying our export markets and on innovation and development in the re-manufacturing sector.

The first key to ensuring prosperity and long term competitiveness is diversifying our markets for wood products. Currently about 80% of production is exported to the United States. In the course of the last 20 years, we have developed Japan as our second largest trading partner for our wood products and we know that countries like China, Taiwan, Korea and India present tremendous new opportunities for our wood products industry, opportunities we must begin to tap into.

In March of this year we began the groundwork to do that with the announcement of our $5.3 million investment in the Canada-China wood products initiative. This initiative is helping to build markets in China's burgeoning housing and construction economy.

To expand our markets beyond the United States, the Government of Canada is committing an additional $29.7 million in funding for the Canada wood export program. The program is a co-operative, cost shared effort with industry associations, which will invest $70 million over the next five years in export market development activities.

We will increase our international markets in three ways. First, we will increase the offshore presence of the Canadian industry, giving the industry better visibility. Second, we will provide increased support to the industry to ensure that it has scientific and technical data to include Canadian species in foreign building codes and standards. Third, we will increase our promotion of the North American wood frame building system and provide technical inputs to codes and standards. This investment will provide opportunities to market wood flooring and other value added products for use in traditional non-wood buildings. In total the Government of Canada is putting $35 million toward opening new markets for our wood products over the next five years.

The second key to the long term prosperity and international competitiveness of the forest products industry is research and innovation. Canada already has a strong track record in innovation, particularly as a developer of value added wood products. Our goal now is to work with our industry to brand Canada worldwide as a preferred source for top quality and innovative forest products.

To do this, the Government of Canada will invest in two research and innovation initiatives. The first is an investment of $30 million in Canada's three national forest research institutions: the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada, Forintek Canada Corp. and the Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada.

These institutes will use the research and development funding to work on activities that will strengthen Canada's competitive position in the world market. These three institutes are the major centres of forest products research in Canada and are key engines of innovation. The funding will help these institutes improve Canada's long term competitiveness in both the wood products sector and the pulp and paper sector.

The government is investing another $15 million over five years in the value added research industry for wood products. This initiative will support applied research conducted through Forintek and the universities of British Columbia, Laval and New Brunswick. The key part of the strategy is putting this expertise out into the manufacturing sector to improve technology for manufacturing products from lumber.

The initiative will help the value added subsector of the Canadian wood industry, which includes mostly small and medium size companies that produce products such as hardwood flooring, moulding and trim. The program is specifically designed to help the subsector become more competitive in the long term and increase the value of its products. Through this program we will create jobs in British Columbia, Quebec and other provinces.

All of these initiatives will help secure the future of the wood products industry. We have consulted widely with the forest products industry and the provinces on these initiatives. We are confident these measures will put them in a stronger position to be leaders in long term competitiveness and innovation for the forest products sector. We will maintain this team Canada approach as we continue to work on this issue to help the workers, the communities and the companies that are important partners in the industry.

It is not only in Canada that communities, companies and workers are feeling the impact of U.S. lumber duties. In the United States consumers, builders, workers and others are also hurt by these punishing U.S. lumber duties. That fact has not been well understood in the United States.

Yesterday the Minister for International Trade announced $20 million in funding to ensure that Canada's message on the need for free and fair trade in lumber and other vital sectors is heard and understood in the United States. The Government of Canada is supporting Canadian industry in its education and awareness building campaign in the United States on the punitive impact duties have on both the U.S. and Canada. When the U.S. decision makers realize that softwood lumber duties favour a few at the cost of many, we hope Americans will see the need to resolve the dispute in a reasonable way to the benefit of both countries.

The Government of Canada is extremely sensitive to the impact U.S. duties are having on Canadian industry. We know the burden on our communities and families that depend on healthy trade with the U.S. We are aware of the impact this has on job loss and mill closures.

Although in the immediate and short term we are confident that we already have the necessary programs in place to assist displaced workers and communities in need, we are monitoring assistance measures closely and we will keep all options open. The government continues to make sure it is working. The Minister of Industry, the Minister of Human Resources Development, we are all working together to determine what more we can do in terms of helping the workers and the communities.

In conclusion, the Government of Canada will continue to act on behalf of our workers and lumber dependent communities. We will continue to explore all options to assist them in time of need.

We are challenging U.S. decisions at the World Trade Organization under the North American Free Trade Agreement. We will continue to defend the interests of Canadian industry. However, with softwood duties now in place, we must redouble our combined efforts to resolve the dispute. We must work against U.S. protectionism in this vital Canadian trade sector and continue toward our goal of free trade in softwood lumber.

We hope the Americans come back to make sure we resolve this through negotiation. It is not in the interests of either Canada or the U.S. to continue in this way. I have been to Washington to send this message to many of the politicians. I have also been to communities across British Columbia, to Port Alberni and Prince George, to personally and directly hear from people who are hurting.

We as a government will not let them down. We will ensure that we provide them support so they can get over this difficult period until we have a final ruling either through NAFTA or through the WTO.

As a government, we have made this our number one priority to make sure that we help the communities and resolve this issue for the long term for Canadians.

[Renewable Energy Sources, May 28th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, renewable energy is extremely important for all members of the House. Last week I launched in North Cape in Prince Edward Island the wind power production incentive, a $260 million initiative, to develop wind energy across the country.

This new Government of Canada program will help increase the amount of wind energy available across Canada by 500%. This is a substantial improvement and I know all members of the House will support the program.

[Agriculture, May 24th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that we do not get those types of questions from the opposition about important issues for agriculture.

As I said, the minister of agriculture, the minister of trade and the minister responsible for the wheat board, three ministers, are in the prairie provinces, in Saskatchewan, to talk to farmers, to talk to the three prairie premiers, to get their views to make sure that is a consideration.

With regard to the U.S. policy, of course the Americans talk one language but their actions are about protectionism. The minister of agriculture has made that known to the secretary of the U.S. cabinet--

[Government Contracts, May 24th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the minister of agriculture, all jobs are appropriately viewed and decisions made through the public service.

The hon. member brings up the point of our agriculture policy. He should know that today the minister of agriculture, the minister of trade and the minister responsible for the wheat board are in Saskatchewan right now, listening to the farmers and listening to the premiers.

I would hope that he would concentrate on issues that are important for Canadians: agriculture policy. Why he is not asking questions on important issues for farmers in the prairie provinces, as the minister is listening to all the farmers and the premiers?