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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 8

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 1, 2021 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 8 - Dec/1/21
Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)
  • Dec/1/21 8:30:05 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, it is a real pleasure to stand this evening and talk about timber, to talk about softwood lumber and the impact it is having across rural Canada. I appreciate the member for Timmins—James Bay raising the plight of workers. In my riding, workers have lost their jobs. They have lost their livelihoods and the ability to provide for their families because of government policy and government inaction in not reaching a softwood lumber agreement. Could the member explain what benefits we could see from the forestry industry if the government actually took it seriously and followed through on its commitment in 2016, when it said it had almost reached a deal. Close to six years later we are still waiting for that to come to fruition.
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Context: House Hansard - 8 - Dec/1/21
Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)
  • Dec/1/21 9:01:37 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the new member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill for probably one of her first speeches. Right now, forestry workers in my riding do not want to hear rhetoric about a win-win because this has already been a loss-loss. They have already lost the jobs, the mills are already closing and forestry companies in B.C. like West Fraser are looking to go south of the border. Frankly, the government has had since 2016, when it started talking about signing a new deal, to get things done, but it has not. The other day I asked the minister in the House of Commons during an adjournment debate what positive steps she was going to take. I agree that she took a positive step today; she went to Washington, D.C. However, we have not outlined for industry a transparent process that it can look to for any type of certainty. Could the member please comment on whether she agrees that it has been way too long and the government has not acted quickly enough to support the workers in my riding and across British Columbia who are impacted the most by the lack of government action?
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