44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 1, 2021 02:00PM
- Dec/1/21 9:35:43 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I asked in question period the other day whether we could expect, for the first nations-owned lumber mill in my riding, to have the $20 million that have been withheld in tariffs returned to it through this process.
The hon. member speaks of the process and playing it through to the end in an appropriate manner. Can this lumber mill in Saskatchewan that has $20 million tied up, which is not being used for first nations to provide social housing and other benefits to its communities, expect to get its $20 million back, and when it might happen?
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- Dec/1/21 9:47:03 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time tonight with the member for Kenora.
As this is the first time I have risen in this 44th Parliament, I would like to take a minute to thank the constituents of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River for re-electing me and sending me back to Ottawa to be their representative. It is a privilege and a responsibility that I do not take for granted. I would also like to thank my entire team for their time, their effort and their professionalism during the campaign. Without an awesome team, none of this is possible.
Last, I would like to thank my family, and especially my wife Lori, for continued support on this journey. For many of us, I know the support of our spouses makes it possible for us to do this important job.
The debate tonight has a direct impact and far-reaching consequences for the people of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River. The forest industry in northern Saskatchewan is an economic driver that provides direct and indirect employment to approximately 8,000 people. Forest product sales are worth over $1 billion every year, and 30% of the timber supply in northern Saskatchewan is allocated to indigenous businesses. This is the highest of any province in Canada, and indigenous people make up roughly 30% of the forestry workforce, which again is the highest of any province in the country.
These stats only look at the current situation. With long-term growth in the sector having the potential to generate over $2 billion in annual sales and well over 12,000 jobs, this vital renewable resource industry is in a growth phase and is proving to have the ability to bring Saskatchewan residents together to solve many of the socio-economic problems in our communities.
Just yesterday, there was a major announcement made between Paper Excellence, the company that is restarting the pulp mill north of Prince Albert, and One Sky Forest Products, which is building a new oriented strand board mill. These two companies are moving together on a co-location partnership. They are sharing log storage areas and existing infrastructure, including electrical, natural gas and rail lines. The shared purpose in this collaboration should be celebrated as an example of navigating problems through mutual coordination and respectful dialogue. This is something that the Liberal government could learn in its dealings with the United States administration.
The development of these large forest-product manufacturing facilities is one of the many reasons why northern Saskatchewan, in September, was in the top 10 across the entire country for job growth. It is a statistic worth emphasizing. I point out that when the government, in this case the provincial Government of Saskatchewan, creates the framework for economic opportunity for all, it is the people who win.
Speaking of opportunity for all, I want to highlight a unique company in my riding. NorSask Forest Products is the largest 100% first nations owned and operated sawmill in Canada. As I stated recently in question period, NorSask currently has paid around $20 million in tariffs. The announcement of softwood lumber tariffs doubling will add to the damage that is being caused by these punitive actions. NorSask's profits are shared among the nine first nations of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council. These communities now have to deal with the shortfall in revenue. This means millions of dollars not being utilized for education, for health care including mental health and addictions programs, for housing, for youth and elder activities, etc.
This is not just an economic and international failure, it is another failure in reconciliation. First nations communities that have worked tirelessly to provide jobs for their people and created own-source revenues to help invest in the social issues they are facing deserve a federal government that works equally as hard at fighting for them to get back what is rightfully theirs.
In conclusion, as was so aptly described by the member for Abbotsford earlier tonight, from 2006 to 2015 under the leadership of Prime Minister Harper and presidents Bush and Obama, Canada and the United States had a softwood lumber agreement. Since being elected in 2015, the current government has seen three different U.S. administrations, and still we have no deal.
As the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development is leading a delegation to Washington today, I implore her, on behalf of the residents of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River not to come home empty-handed. The people of northern Saskatchewan deserve better. Canadians deserve better.
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- Dec/1/21 9:53:14 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I actually have the press release from September 12, 2006, on that announced agreement, and that press release talks about the $4.3 billion that was to be returned to the importers of record at the time. One of those importers of record was NorSask Forest Products in northern Saskatchewan. I can tell members from a meeting I had with the company in the last couple of weeks that it remembers very clearly the return of its share of that $4.3 billion.
In the last two years that I have been raising this issue, the amount of tariffs that have been held from one first nations-owned company in northern Saskatchewan has increased from $14 billion to $20 billion. They do not have an eternity to solve this issue.
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- Dec/1/21 9:55:10 p.m.
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Madam Chair, Canada has an obligation to involve indigenous softwood lumber producers in the discussions regarding any softwood lumber agreement. In 2016, the parliamentary Standing Committee on International Trade made a recommendation:
That the Government of Canada ensure that its consultations regarding the negotiations for a new softwood lumber agreement with the United States include stakeholders that may have been overlooked in the past, especially Aboriginal stakeholders and small producers.
To my colleague's question, I believe there is an obligation to have many stakeholders at the table to solve the issues facing many Canadians across the country.
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- Dec/1/21 9:56:47 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the member talked about innovation, and I can assure him that NorSask Forest Products is one of the most modern, technological companies in the country. It has advanced its technology at incredible speeds.
My challenge is that the $20 billion is not there to pay dividends to the first nations communities, and it is also not there to invest in new and better technologies at the same time. That money can be used for capital investment and for dividends. When we do not have either, we have a problem.
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