Lisa Raitt

[Forestry Industry, April 21st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that is simply not the case. In fact, I can quote Mr. Rick Jeffery, president and CEO of the Coast Forest Products Association, when he talks about the programs that this Conservative government has brought in to help the forestry industry. He said:

—the Canada wood export program, the wood-first policy, the value-to-wood program, and the forest innovation programs that were in the last budget. Those are all great programs. They help drive innovation; they help keep markets open; they help us produce new products and develop new markets; and they also allow us to promote our products in those markets.

[Forestry Industry, April 21st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I find it quite ironic that we have had these unprecedented public consultations across the country. We have listened to what the forestry industry wants. We have delivered. We have listened to what the communities are asking for. We have delivered.

Most important, perhaps when the Liberal leader meets with the people he says he is meeting with, maybe they should ask him what he plans on doing in raising taxes, which will really hurt the forestry industry and the communities.

[Forestry Industry, March 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to meet with representatives of private woodlot owners here in the House yesterday and discuss their concerns. I can tell the House and the hon. member is that one thing is very clear. They do believe in the forest industry and they are grateful for the help and support that this government has been providing since 2007.

I am very pleased that they are appreciative of the fact that we are looking at innovation and marketing as a way to promote this industry and ensure that it is world-class when it is ready to go.

[Forestry Industry, March 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the hon. member has said, the government is actually taking action through the Canada economic action plan. We went across the country and spoke to those in the forestry industry and in the communities, and asked them what would be helpful.

We understand it has helped very much with innovation, marketing and indeed, financing, and that is what Canada's economic action plan delivers on. Furthermore, the government is about action, whereas the NDP is all about talk.

[Nuclear Energy, March 12th, 2009]

Once again, Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to point out that this government actually did act. It acted in 2007, 2008, and again this year with a $1 billion clean energy fund.

Let me help the hon. members with what the content of the ecoenergy renewable program is, which is incentives for the production of power from emerging renewable energy sources such as wind, biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar photovoltaic and ocean energy.

[Nuclear Energy, March 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member said is obviously incorrect if we take a look at the track record that this government has on clean energy.

May I point out that on renewable energy alone, this government has dedicated and committed $3.7 billion to research, development and deployment of renewable energy. I fail to see how that is not significant. I fail to see how that is not something that is very important for Canada. It shows that we are leaders.

[Forestry Industry, March 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, members know that the member and the member for Prince George—Peace River have worked tirelessly for their constituents on this file.

In Canada's economic action plan, their hard work paid off, as our government took several measures to help forestry workers, including extending the EI work-sharing program.

In fact, United Steelworkers official Terry Tate said, “This is great news. We were quite shocked--we didn't think they would go the full 52 weeks”.

Our economic action plan will help workers and get families through these difficult times.

[Business of Supply, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as the member pointed out, we have had the opportunity to talk about the situation in Rainy River and Thunder Bay. It is of great concern to him and it is of great concern to us as well. I am always happy to speak with any member in the House regarding forestry issues within their riding, so without question, I would be happy to do so.

With respect to setting up a forestry summit, we have done broad-based consultations across the country. I continue to meet with industry people across the country. I would be happy to discuss the concept with the members in the House to determine what kind of agenda could be set up and whether or not this is the right time to do so.

The reality is that we have developed a strategy. The strategy is in the economic action plan. We are now fully on the implementation and execution of that strategy in accordance with the needs of the industry. The communities have told us what they need.

On one side it is marketing and innovation of the forestry products and on the other side it is making sure that communities and workers have both help through the employment insurance work share programs as well as general help for economic diversification in the communities hardest hit.

Within that spectrum, I would be happy to speak with anybody in the House, but we must realize that there has been enough talk on this matter. We have put our strategy in place. It is in the economic action plan. I truly wish that if the member did feel for the workers in his community, he would go ahead and vote in favour of this economic action plan, so that we can get it going and get the communities where they need to be, which is with money and with better help.

[Business of Supply, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I will start with the last question first. We have actually itemized the results of the consultation. I invite the member to read the economic action plan, because that is exactly what it was. We went across the country, consulted with the industry, and put the comments in the plan that we are currently trying to implement and that we would like to continue to implement for the sake of all Canadians.

With respect to the parsing of the words “bailout” versus “investment”, the reality is that we have put together an incredibly comprehensive strategy to take the Canadian forest industry through to the future and deal with the realities of what we have now.

It is obviously unfortunate, and coming from the same part of the country, the east coast, where we have experienced downturns, I fully understand and I feel for the people of Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor in that respect.

However, one provides the strategy not only to have the companies flourish, but for the industry to flourish so that someday maybe that mill will open again, but in the meantime, one has to look after the people. That is what the community adjustment fund does. It allows communities to economically diversify so that they are not single-industry towns and they can prevent the downturn from happening again.

Just to elaborate a little, anytime the government recognizes the importance of investing in innovation and research and development to take wood, this wonderful product and resource we have in Canada, and lever it, make it better, and bring it into the next generation, that is certainly not a bailout. That is totally an investment. It is a belief in this country, a belief in the people of this country, and that is exactly what the strategy is for this government.

[Business of Supply, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, first I want to say, as I indicated in my remarks, I understand only too well the devastating effects of companies closing down in communities, the effects on the families and workers, and the ongoing effects on the community in general.

That is why we as a government brought in not only the community development trust to aid at the very beginning of this forestry crisis but we put a further $1 billion into the community adjustment fund to deal with the after-effects of the reality of the fact that we are suffering in an economic downturn and the industry is facing structural challenges, in and of itself, those two forces coming together at the same time. That is why this government has recognized the effect on the communities and made those two pieces of funding available for communities.

With respect to the specific example of forestry companies seeking credit access, as I mentioned as well, we in this government have taken unprecedented measures to make sure that there is financing available across all sectors, including the forestry sector. As I indicated, there is over $200 billion available in the extraordinary financing framework. We recognize that as being important because, quite frankly, it is something that we were told by the entire industry.

I hope that is helpful for the communities and the industry as well.