International Trade committee  Mr. Chair, thank you very much. I am delighted that you are here today, Mr. Feldman, Mr. Pearson, and Mr. Woods. It's very important. This committee has to do its due diligence on Bill C-24, and the concerns you're raising are very significant and are something the committee needs to take into consideration.

Industry committee  Mr. Minister, we heard from the industry last week and they were not saying that. They were saying that they had very serious concerns about where this is heading, and very serious concerns about the fact that each draft is worse than the last one. I am appalled that this government is not thinking of loan guarantees for an industry that urgently needs them.

Industry committee  Given that we do not have free access now, that there is an export tax that would take effect as soon as we sign this agreement, and that we have a volume cap as well on the current benchmark price, do you concede that your comments are misplaced and that we do not have free access?

International Trade committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you to all of you for coming forward today. We have the heavy hitters of International Trade. We have a lot of questions to ask you. Obviously, 40 minutes is not sufficient time to address all of the issues we're dealing with. I think we're accepting this 40 minutes as a down payment and hoping we will see you again in April.

International Trade committee  It's out. It was reported in Inside U.S. Trade. My supplementary questions would be, have all the Canadian provinces been informed of this American demand, and is this demand tabled as part of the discussions that will take place at the next meeting, which I believe is scheduled for May?

International Trade committee  The motion reads: Given the profound changes in the document signed by the Minister of International Trade and the impact of these changes on Canada's softwood lumber policy framework, that the Standing Committee on International Trade hold several meetings and briefings this summer to study the July 1, 2006, softwood lumber agreement initialled by the Minister of International Trade and that this Committee request the appearance of the Minister of International Trade, Mr.

Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006  Mr. Speaker, I applaud the member for her courage because she is one of the few Conservative members who is actually willing to speak to this embarrassing, botched agreement, and Bill C-24 in the House of Commons. We know the Conservative government is invoking closure and shutting down debate on this because it is so embarrassed by what has happened in the past week.

International Trade committee  So the Canadian Wheat Board has not been part of those discussions at the bilateral consultations on agriculture in any way. I appreciate, of course, getting the list of who is coordinating those groups and how many there are taking place within the government. I do want to come back to a general question in the minute or so that I have left in this first round, though.

Transport committee  Now we'll all expect compliments, Mr. Chair. I will quickly go to my motion. I don't think it will be controversial at all. There's a National Marine and Industrial Council, as many members know, which is comprised of deputy ministers of Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and Transport Canada; an associate deputy minister from Industry Canada; and nine industry representatives selected from the chief executive officers of Canadian companies only.

International Trade committee  Mr. Chair, we've broken pretty well every parliamentary rule of procedure it is possible to break. We are no longer acknowledging points of order. We are no longer acknowledging the ability to actually move motions. This is just a free-for-all.

International Trade committee  For the first hour, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), we have a study on the Canada-Central America Four free trade agreement negotiations with El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In the second half, we have departmental officials on a study of Canada's trade policy. In the first half, Mr.

International Trade committee  When we recessed to Mr. Cannan's motion, which I do not believe was in order, we were discussing the amendments to Mr. Menzies' sledgehammer motion with the six clauses that basically stamp all over the type of committee consideration that we should have as committee members, to have that free and open debate, that in-depth debate, on every aspect of bills that are brought before us.

Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006  Mr. Speaker, we found out yesterday that the Liberals on the international trade committee moved to kill softwood hearings that were scheduled in northern Quebec, in the Saguenay, and in Thunder Bay in northern Ontario, which is the epicentre of what will befall this industry if the Conservatives succeed in pushing through this bungled legislation.

Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006  Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to stand with my New Democratic Party colleagues to state that we will be voting against the bill, but voting for the amendment that has been offered, and I will be raising a subamendment at the end of my speech after question period. I am raising the objections of the New Democratic Party, which has led the fight against the softwood sellout, because we believe that coercion is not consent and extortion is not gaining approval.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much for coming here today. What I find particularly intriguing is the emphasis on the percentage of manufactured goods we're exporting to that region. That's a fundamental problem. As I know you're aware, as traders internationally, we tend to export our raw materials--whether it's raw logs or oil and gas--and as a result of that we're seeing a basic erosion in family income for most Canadian families.