Mary Ng

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I know how important this is to the hon. member and to all of us.

We absolutely want an outcome that is acceptable to the Canadian industry and to the workers. We are working with the Canadian lumber industry. Its people will be the ones to provide us with the negotiating mandate on this issue. I will continue to work closely with Canada, and together we will continue to take that team Canada approach, because that is what works.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's forestry sector provides hundreds of thousands of jobs for middle-class Canadians in communities across the country. These duties are unjustified, and they will hurt workers and businesses in both our countries.

We will keep fighting for Canada's softwood lumber industry and its workers. Canada has always been a fair trading partner. I will continue to raise this issue at every opportunity.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have had an opportunity to speak to the U.S. trade representative, in fact, on many occasions. Absolutely softwood lumber, the forestry sector and its workers are a priority for this government. We will always stand up for this sector. We are very disappointed at the duties and tariffs that have been levelled on us.

We are going to continue to work with the American administration, so we can defend Canada's softwood industry.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I think Canadians will know who is defending them and who has always defended them.

When we retaliated against the U.S. on unfair U.S. aluminum and steel tariffs, the current Leader of the Opposition urged us to stop fighting back. When we were negotiating for a better CUSMA deal, the Conservatives wanted Canada to capitulate to Donald Trump. Our government has a proven track record of negotiating outcomes for the benefit of Canadian businesses and Canadian workers, whether it is renegotiating NAFTA, getting a good deal on CPTPP or getting a good deal on CETA. We are going to continue doing this work for Canadians.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, my message to the forestry sector industry and the workers is that we will continue to stand up for their interests. We are interested in an outcome that is acceptable to the forestry industry and to the workers. We are going to work with the Canadian softwood lumber industry, as we have always done. It is they who will give us the mandate to take to the United States on this very issue.

I am going to keep working closely with industry. Together, we are going to take a team Canada approach, just as we have done all the way along, challenging on this issue and continuing to work on it.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, this issue is important. It is why we are pursuing it under chapter 10. However, this is only possible because this government fought hard to keep the dispute settlement mechanism in the new trade agreement so that we could stand up for Canadians.

I want to remind the House and Canadians that the Conservatives urged the government to capitulate to Donald Trump and get us a weaker deal. We did not.

Our government will always stand up for Canadian workers and the softwood lumber industry.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, this issue is a priority for our government. It is why we are pursuing litigation under chapter 10 of CUSMA—

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have been speaking to the industry, including the industry represented and advocated by the indigenous softwood lumber members. The Conservatives can shout talking points all they like, but it is the Canadian softwood lumber industry, including the indigenous softwood lumber industry, that will give me and this government a negotiating mandate on this issue.

I will work closely with the industry, as I always have, and we will continue to pursue their interests.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand up for the forestry sector, and we will always stand up for its workers. We presented challenges before CUSMA at the WTO, where it has been ruled that Canada is a fair trading partner.

We absolutely denounce these tariffs. They are unfair; they are unjustified and they hurt workers and businesses on both sides of the border. I have been speaking to Quebec industry and workers on this very matter, and I will continue to stand up for their interests.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes that the forestry and softwood lumber industry is important to Quebec. We will continue to stand up for resilience and innovation within the Quebec forestry industry, which exports $10 million worth of forestry products annually and creates jobs for more than 60,000 workers in the province.