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OTTAWA - (Web posted March 19, 2002 @ 5 p.m.)
- Ontario's Natural Resources
Minister John Snobelen and Canadian Alliance MP John Duncan urged Ottawa to
reconsider its options in the softwood lumber negotiations with the United
States on Wednesday. Their
statements came in the wake of a U.S. proposal that would impose a huge export
tax on softwood lumber imported from Canada. The
Globe and Mail reported on Wednesday the proposed tax was as high as 37 per
cent.  Snobelen
said the federal government should now focus its attention on ending the trade
dispute under terms established by the North American Free Trade Agreement.
"Given
this totally unacceptable response from the U.S., the Ontario government
strongly urges the federal government to end negotiations and pursue North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and legal options," Snobelen said. "We
are opposed to an export tax, and will not have our forest policies determined
by other jurisdictions."
The U.S. Department of Commerce is scheduled
to make a final ruling on export duties Thursday.
Despite the deadline, Duncan said there's
still time to negotiate a deal.
Any countervailing duties to establish
the amount of duties the Canadian forest industry would be required to pay the
U.S. on all softwood lumber exports would
not come into place until May.
"Don't go to extraordinary lengths to
come up with a deal to avoid the Department of Commerce," Duncan said in
the foyer of the House of Commons after Question Period.
"We've got lots of time between now and
May 12 to come up with some other, well thought out arrangement, rather than a
last minute deal that might compromise our long-term interests."
Last week, International Trade Minister
Pierre Pettigrew assured Canadian provinces and the industry Ottawa would not
sign a bad deal, and that negotiators would abide by the principle of free
market access for Canadian softwood lumber products to the U.S.
On Wednesday Pettigrew was in Washington
trying to salvage a deal.
"The minister is there, and he's
personally in charge of the negotiations," said Pat O'Brien, the
parliamentary secretary to the minister in the House of Commons.
Also on Wednesday, Snobelen urged Ontario's
Liberal MPs to get more involved in the debate.
"I also urge the 99 Liberal MPs from
Ontario to take a more active role in defending the interests of the province's
softwood lumber industry, particularly since many of them represent communities
that depend, to some extent, on our forest industry," added Snobelen.
However, Stan Keyes, chair of the Liberal
Party caucus and MP for Hamilton West, defended the work of Ontarios Liberal
MPs.
"Mr.
Snobelen
can say all he wants but the fact of the matter is we're at the table. We're
doing everything we can in order to get what's best for Canada on the softwood
lumber file," said Keyes.
"What has Snobelen or the provincial
government done to assist...How have they helped the federal government in order
to achieve our mutual interest in achieving what's best for Canadians."
Ontario's position has been that the North
American Free Trade Agreement was negotiated to provide access to the U.S.
market. Free and fair trade between Canada and the U.S. should be the final
result of the negotiations.
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