Parliament will decide on the fate of softwood lumber deal, says Emerson

[CHIMO]

Parliament will decide on the fate of softwood lumber deal, says Emerson

OTTAWA -- The fate of the softwood lumber deal struck with the United States is in the hands of Parliament, not Canada's forestry industry, Trade Minister David Emerson said Thursday.

In a telephone conference call, the minister said legislation ratifying the agreement will be submitted to the Commons in mid-September.

Emerson said he won't let the industry have a veto over the deal.

Industry representatives have said for days that they have the power to block its adoption. They can refuse to withdraw their lawsuits and refuse to renounce their legal rights to money paid in duties.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=1d5b0f3b-e48d-46cc-a310-a0d44750768b&k=66021

It is becoming apparent to me that they want an election before people realise that the $100 a month is taxable and the 22nd goes to Afghanistan. So looks like an election this year.

Wonder where all those premiers will be on provincial rights/powers?

[CHIMO]

1. A New Tweedle Dumb!

Provincial gov't dislikes softwood agreement

REGINA -- If the federal government is making the softwood deal with the United States a take it or leave it deal, the provincial government says the deal should be axed.

In the face of growing opposition to the agreement, federal Trade Minister David Emerson said on the weekend the deal may be scrapped if the softwood industry doesn't want it, but the only alternative is a legal battle in court and trade tribunals.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=3fb66ff5-8e7f-453d-a8cb-8db9eb7b23e8

[Spazito]

3. LOL, correct me if I a wrong but isn't Emerson talking out of both sides

of his mouth (not unlike his switch from Lib to Con) where in the one article it is the industry be damned, Parliament will rule and in the other the industry rules?

[Spazito]

2. Even if Parliament were to ratify it, the industry still does have the

power to negate it by not withdrawing their suits so, it seems, the DO have a veto over the deal. So, will it be the Libs or the Bloc that cave and give Harper the votes he needs? I don't see the NDP supporting this but, with Layton lately, who knows.

[CHIMO]

4. Well

My thoughts are that the government shouldn't fall on this. If one goes back to the take-over of the PC's by the Reform they mouthed off about an election before they had a chance to consolidate. I think the same applies now with the Liberals in a searching state.

Further the who;e issue has never been reported or looked at from the perspective of "What is the country's' good".

So as it is being opposed by the corporations then they should step up and define who runs the country.

[Spazito]

5. I am not sure I understand what you are saying...

If, as Emerson has been saying, the issue will be before Parliament in September which, I believe, is before the Libs will have chosen a new leader, are you saying the Libs should support passage merely because an election would not be good at that time or am I misunderstanding you?

Even the little I have seen, read about the agreement, it sure doesn't seem like a good deal to me with the US retaining 1 billion of our monies that NAFTA has already said is owed to us. We will continue to pay higher tariffs if the US lumber industry runs into trouble. I have yet to see anything put forward by government as to why it is a good deal for Canada, the only argument they seem to be using is the "we will be in court all the time otherwise, etc" and that doesn't do it for me.

[CHIMO]

6. It Looks

To me that Harper is looking for an issue to have an election. After one session of Parliament everything seems to be melting away although the polls seem to be saying that they might be in a better position.

On the one hand Emerson says that the lumber deal is final and if the producers scrap it then they have to live with the consequences. Then in the next few days he says that Parliament will decide all the rules. Now we don't even have the official agreement, because none of the negotiators knew french. The total of all this is that Harper is looking for an election issue which he seems to have been doing since he started. The longer that he remains in a minority position the lower his star will fall.

The Liberals are in a weakened position (My view only) since Martin took over the party and all the ridings and they need a period of agglomeration. Calling an election this fall prevents that from happening.

The NDP appear to be operating as opportunists and have lost the integrity required of a developing party and are willing to go after the weakest.

So in short, at the present time I don't see the advantage of an election if one wants to oust Harper.

From the point of view of softwood lumber, we all were, and have been upset, with the way NAFTA has been trashed and agreeing that Canada subsidizes lumber. However, if we are to be ruled by the corporations then it is up to the corporations to stand up for themselves. When the Alberta oil industry tanked in the 1980's nobody blamed the oil industry for the downturn. It was Ottawa. So once bitten...

If the corporations don't like the deal then let them get in front of the parade. Don't expect a party to get out in front for them. If the policy is going to be a Canadian policy then it has to be approached from that point and obtain a consensus on it. In the present scenario I don't see the corporations standing up to the government, nor do I see the provincial governments putting their shoulder behind the issue.

It seems to me that the best solution, is to drag things out a bit longer, let some of the chickens come home to roost and have Harper and his nutty group start going off the deep end.

In all this nobody seems to be following the money. Articles have alluded to the one billion going to the US with an election coming up in November with the lumber industry big supporters of the present US government. Well what about the Canadian connections to that money? Are some on the five billions going to find their way into the Canadian parties?

Additionally will this deal eventually consolidate the Canadian industry by US take overs?

None of these issues are even on the radar.

[Spazito]

7. Thanks for your explanation and I fully agree with you...

The Cons need an election before the Libs choose a leader, they are definitely in a very weakened position and have been since shortly after Martin took over for sure.

Re the money, I have little doubt some of it will find it's way into party coffers but that would not be any different than in previous elections, imo.

It seems, from what I have been reading, the lumber companies and the Provincial governments in the provinces in which they are headquartered are in tandem in either their silence or their disagreement with the proposed agreement as currently presented so I don't see it as an either/or issue.

The major lumber industries, imo, are already predominately in American hands in that the majority shares are owned not by Canadians but by American companies.