Lumber producers could kill softwood deal

[CHIMO]

VANCOUVER -- Canadian forest companies who represent more than half the lumber duties paid to U.S. Customs say they won't co-operate to implement a key provision of the Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement unless changes are made, effectively scuttling the deal.

Few individual companies have come out publicly for or against the deal, preferring to let their industry associations speak for them.

"What Harper is banking on is that the industry is in such a critical state that they'll basically agree to anything,'' said the NDP's Julian.

That's unlikely, said Carl Grenier, executive vice-president of the Free Trade Lumber Council.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=a3a197d3-5810-4036-8010-92c752ca51ed&k=77139

They better start the parade because if they aren't interested, then don't expect others to step forward.


Sold down the river again?

Is it too much to ask of our politicians and senior federal bureaucrats that they work in the best interests of the people of Canada instead of their own political agendas?

Why do we always have Canadian negotiators trumpeting their success in international negotiatons, give us all hope that all will be made right only to find in subsequent days that, once again, Canadian interests have been sold down the river – sacrificed in the name of making Prime Minister Stephen Harper look like he can effectively handle the Bush administration?

The softwood lumber agreement is the latest case of a deal looking positive during the first breathless announcements that consensus has been reached with the Americans, only to find later that many of the provinces and most Canadian industry organizations hate the deal. Why does that happen? The federal government stands its ground for years only to cave in at the last minute. Do they not listen?

Or maybe we’re being too negative. Maybe Canadian lumber industry insiders don’t know what they’re talking about and have no view of the bigger picture of Canadian-American relations. Maybe.

http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=6&cat=48&id=685035&more=