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House Hansard - 6

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 29, 2021 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 6 - Nov/29/21
Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)
  • Nov/29/21 6:40:46 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the news last week that the Americans were doubling duties on softwood lumber for Canadian producers is yet another blow to B.C.'s economy. The communities I represent continue to be hammered by either natural disasters or now a failed trade policy. We simply cannot seem to catch a break. B.C. is the largest Canadian exporter of softwood lumber to the U.S., and our forestry industry supports 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the province. Sadly, we have already seen employment evaporate. In 2019, West Fraser closed the Chasm lumber mill, which had employed constituents in my riding. An industry member from Vancouver Island shared with my office that the coupling of the announcement this week with the province's Bill 28, the Forest Amendment Act, is going to be extremely hard on companies and on people. The impact of Bill 28 alone is projected to cause the loss of 18,000 jobs. Existing employment is now even more at risk during a time we simply just cannot afford. A manager in the industry characterized the duty increase as incredibly challenging, but survivable if it was the only hurdle producers were facing. When combined with the province's harvest deferrals and the reallocation of tenures, all of which are happening at the same time, many companies just do not seem to feel they stand a chance. There is no way to pivot that quickly or spread the economic loss over a number of years. Another stakeholder similarly shared that, for local lumber manufacturers in B.C. already dealing with soaring log prices due to the significant summertime fires, recent flooding and escalating supply chain challenges, the doubling of the softwood lumber duty comes as a gut punch that puts thousands of jobs and the future of the local industry at risk. The BC Lumber Trade Council has stated that these unfair duties hurt not only B.C. businesses and workers but also U.S. consumers looking to repair, remodel and build new homes. As U.S. producers remain unable to meet the domestic demand, these duties are a threat to North American post-pandemic recovery on both sides of the border. What concrete actions is the government going to take to make sure the Biden administration reverses course? The international trade minister is on record saying that the government was pursuing litigation under the new North American trade deal between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, and at the World Trade Organization. I sincerely hope the hon. member is able to outline here today the litigation measures the government is taking, the timeline for when they will be complete and the results she is seeking to achieve. My constituents in the industry and across my province require quick action and certainty. Continued flooding and mudslides in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon only compound the difficulties faced by the people I represent. Additional evacuation orders and alerts were issued last night and this morning in Abbotsford, Mission, Hope and Merritt, communities within and neighbouring my riding. Just before I came to the House I was looking on my Twitter account at DriveBC, and the Jackass Summit, the top of Highway 1 when driving through the historic Fraser Canyon, is completely washed out. It is like the highway was never there. These events are going to have really, really big impacts on my constituents.
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Context: House Hansard - 6 - Nov/29/21
Mr. Brad Vis
  • Nov/29/21 6:48:39 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will mention to the hon. member that reaching a deal is very important for British Columbia. When you move forward in the coming weeks and months, there should be a degree of transparency that lets industry know that the government is on their side and that you are giving a clear timeline about the actions you are taking when you are taking them. The economic loss is felt. The job losses are real in British Columbia, and all of my constituents and all British Columbians are asking for a degree of transparency. At the end of the day, we know you cannot control what the Biden administration does, but it is incumbent upon your government to reach a softwood lumber deal to give industry the certainty we are looking for. Finally, to all the voters in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon and to my campaign team, I have not said this enough: You guys are awesome. Thank you for putting your trust in me once again. I want to honour that every day. One of the first campaign commitments I ever made was to stand up for the forestry sector.
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