International Trade committee  Obviously, if there are concerns about this agreement, the release of those studies would allow us to have a better sense of how legitimate they may be in terms of the actual impact. It might potentially work in favour of the negotiations. So the earlier those figures get out--provided they're solid numbers, which have been done with the view of honestly addressing the impacts--I would suggest, the better.

SOFTWOOD LUMBER PRODUCTS EXPORT CHARGE ACT, 2006  Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciated the speech of the member for Sherbrooke and I also appreciate the work he does in the Standing Committee on International Trade, as well as the work of his colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé. I very much appreciate their work. I have to say, this House is in a critical situation.

Softwood Lumber  Mr. Speaker, in yet another reaction to the softwood lumber sellout, Western Forest Products, which employed nearly 300 people, is closing its Queensborough mill in New Westminster, B.C. The closing of the mill, which has been in operation since 1914, deals a devastating blow to another softwood community.

Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006  Mr. Speaker, I was amused to see the member for Sydney—Victoria speak in opposition to the agreement when the Liberals in committee tried to ram the thing through. They did the Conservatives' dirty work for them. I like him personally, but I think it is audacious, even for a Liberal, to stand in the House now that the television cameras are back on and say that the Liberals are opposed again.

Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006  Mr. Speaker, the member for Timmins—James Bay is absolutely right. He has been one of the most vocal people in standing up for northern Ontario. He has been a champion of northern Ontario, as has the member for Sault Ste. Marie. We have two members in the House who have been standing up for northern Ontario jobs.

Industry committee  The auto industry is still Canada's most important export industry. Every day 148,000 Canadians go to work in the auto sector. They build more than 7,000 vehicles every day. They produce $290 million worth of products. They earn $26 million, and pay $6.3 million in income and property taxes.

International Trade committee  That's a good point, and on page 3 actually that is mentioned, Mr. Julian, I believe, or at least most of it is--certainly having Chile and other South American countries at a meeting is, and also February 6, a meeting on the European free trade agreement—

International Trade committee  I would like to move the following motion: given that we are not considering this bill in any serious way or doing any due diligence, I suggest we send all of these officials home. There is no due diligence, there are no questions permitted, and there is no debate. We have eight members here who cannot receive questions.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the opportunity to talk to clause 55, which we seem to be willing to adopt regardless of the consequences. Sixty seconds. It's a sixty-second move on objections to an assessment. What softwood companies are going to be caught in is this appallingly severe net that is being constructed by the Minister of International Trade.

International Trade committee  I am indeed speaking to the clause, because what we have here is a ministerial fiat that allows the certification to take place on amending, suspending, renewing, cancelling, or reinstating a certificate, with the improvement of the actual amendment itself. We still have a central ministry-of-international-trade-driven agenda.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. As we move very rapidly through very important legislation, I think Canadians expect better of us. We're on clause 17.1, Mr. Chair. This addresses the issue of consultation. We know that the softwood sellout that was imposed was not reached with any consultation with either industry or the provinces.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. As folks read these transcripts, which will be distributed across the country, particularly to lumber remanufacturers in British Columbia and elsewhere, it will be interesting for them to note that we have two arguments here. One argument is the NDP argument, based on what's actually in the agreement, what's actually in Bill C-24, and the egregious errors made in the drafting of the bill.

International Trade committee  What we are doing is compounding the problem that existed in Bill C-24. This has enormous ramifications, and I'm really dismayed that the committee is not taking this particular clause with the seriousness it needs to take. The Canadian Lumber Remanufacturers' Alliance, the largest association in the country, said they wanted to come before this committee.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. The problem we're having here is that we're complicating even further clause 10. As we initially talked about, clause 10 was botched in the drafting. We had very clearly, from the text of the softwood lumber agreement, an exclusion of the Maritimes from the provisions of the softwood lumber agreement.

International Trade committee  I appreciate these little gifts of five and six seconds you're giving me as well, Mr. Chair, despite the closure, although overall, with the five or six seconds and with what you've taken away for asking committee witnesses, I still come out behind. Mr. Chair, this is a pretty fundamental issue.