Francis Chartrand for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles

• Under this deal, at current market benchmark prices, the Canadian softwood industry will be paying more in tariffs than under the current illegal American punitive tariffs.
• The anti-circumvention clause contained in the deal gives the Americans a veto over Canadian forestry practices.
• This deal allows the US to keep $1 billion of the $5 billion it took from Canadian softwood producers in illegal tariffs, half of which ($500 million) will go to US softwood producers.
• The Canadian taxpayers must front the money that this deal gives to the US and must make up for any shortfall that arises.
• Nothing in this agreement stops the US softwood industry from taking Canadian taxpayers guaranteed money and using it to fight future litigation against the Canadian softwood industry.
• It stops the Extraordinary Challenge Committee (ECC) final appeal that would allow those tariffs to be taken off legally and forever.
• Running rules will apply to tariffs on Canadian softwood only retroactively so that Canadian producers will never again know how much, if any, profit they’ll make on any sale to the US.
• It signs away NAFTA Chapter 19 rights not only for softwood lumber but for any other industrial sector in Canada.
• It eliminates four years of legal victories by a stroke of the pen and starting over again next time the Americans challenge Canada.
• The Americans can terminate this agreement at any time if they feel Canada has not complied with the terms of the agreement, and after 23 months can unilaterally terminate the agreement.

Along with Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, who supports this deal?

• CanFor (Minister of Trade David Emerson’s former company)
• Weyerhaeuser (US headquartered lumber producer)
• Pope & Talbot Inc (US headquartered lumber producer)

(All 3 companies operate in both the US and Canada and stand to gain as recipients on both sides of the border with this bad deal.)

Along with Jack Layton and the NDP, Who opposes this deal?

• Free Trade Lumber Council (FTLC)
  
• Coast Forest Products Association (CFPA)
  
• Alberta Softwood Lumber Trade Council (ASLTC)
  
• Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA)
  
• Canadian Energy & Paperworkers Union (CEP)
  
• United Steel Workers
  
• West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.,
  
• Interfor Ltd.
  
• Tolko Industries Inc.,
  
• Western Forest Products Inc.
  
• Mill & Timber Products Ltd.
  
• Terminal Forest Products Ltd.

Jack Layton Softwood Tour 2006

To hear first hand how the softwood sell-out will affect forest communities, Jack Layton is on tour across Canada meeting with workers, labour leaders, industry heads, mayors, city councillors and community leaders. Here is the latest tour itinerary:

June 30 Timmins

July 3 Thunder Bay

July 4 Kenora

July 5 Winnipeg & Calgary

July 6 Calgary & Edmonton

July 7 Victoria

July 8 Courtenay

July 9 Nanaimo

July 12 Vancouver

July 14 Castlegar

July 15 Terrace

July 16 Maple Ridge

# posted by Francis Chartrand @ 11:55 AM