Tuesday, August 22, 2006
NDP to lead fight against Harper’s softwood sell-out - Tuesday August 22, 2006
OTTAWA- The Conservatives have surrendered to US interests instead of protecting Canadian jobs and communities by pushing ahead their bad softwood deal, NDP international trade critic Peter Julian said today. He pledged that the NDP will continue to oppose the Harper government’s softwood sell out.
While the government suggests it has the backing of some provinces and some industry, Julian disputed the support for this softwood agreement.
“No one is supporting this deal because they think it is right, they are doing it because the Conservatives aren’t offering any hope of a better deal” said Julian. “Harper is forcing upon Canada a deal that leaves a billion dollars of illegally taken tariffs in the US, will kill 20 percent of forestry jobs in some regions, and allows the Americans to end the deal five months sooner than the original draft. I agree with the many industry sources who have stated that Canada’s negotiators have capitulated on everything.”
Julian said the NDP will redouble its efforts to oppose the softwood sell-out by bringing together those who stand to lose the most with this deal at the softwood public hearings that the NDP secured beginning this fall.
“The Conservatives said they would stand up for Canada, but with this deal they have turned their backs on Canadians instead,” said Julian. “The hearings this fall will force the Conservatives to start listening to Canadians instead of George Bush’s White House.”
# posted by Francis Chartrand @ 10:02 PM 
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