Bill C24 is bad legislation
The Conservative government has put bill C24 (softwood lumber agreement) before the house for approval, which will only enshrine bad precedent into law, after which Canadians will be right to ask which industry will the U.S. attack next?
The U.S. courts have ruled that Canada is entitled to every penny of the more than $5 billion dollars in tariffs illegally collected by the U.S. since early 2002. Canada’s legal position on the trade dispute is exceedingly strong, having been supported by numerous court victories over the years.
Yet what is this new government of Canada doing? Trying as hard as possible to shut down any legal challenges to the illegal U.S. tariff collection and ram through this new bill. How embarrassing to trade minister David Emerson that the U.S. Court of International Trade actually agrees with Canada’s long held position.
The agreement with the U.S. is an attack on the ability for federal and provincial governments to regulate themselves, free from undue political interference from the U.S. political machinery.
As I’ve noted here in the past, as a Liberal MP and cabinet minister in government, David Emerson said that Canada must continue to fight for what’s right and not simply cave into pressure from the U.S. and its well connected industry. Responding to U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins’ call last August for Canada and the U.S. to negotiate, not litigate, away the softwood lumber dispute:
Industry Minister David Emerson said David Wilkins’ comments, are hypocritical because they suggest Canada hasn’t been serious about negotiating. The minister said Canadians may need to start gearing up for a trade war with the United States.
“Candidly, Canadians have to decide as a small trading economy, are we going to stand together?” Emerson said at the start of a federal cabinet meeting in Winnipeg.
“Are we going to be stronger than the sum of our parts or are we going to be endlessly bickering amongst ourselves and allowing the bully to basically mop the floor with us?”
Strong words from Emerson then, but now, we hear nothing but a defeatist’s whine. And his boss? While sitting on the opposition benches, Stephen Harper, commenting on yet another softwood lumber trade challenge which ruled in Canada’s favour, said:
This is not a time for negotiation, this is a time for compliance.then opposition leader Stephen Harper
Now, as a Conservative MP and cabinet minister in government, Emerson appears perfectly happy to ram an exceedingly bad deal through parliament. Where’s the Emerson of old? Where’s the Harper that postured and posed and said he’d Stand Up for Canada, but instead is behind a deal which sells us all, not just the softwood lumber industry, down the river?
People didn’t vote for this.