Prince George, B.C.- The clock is ticking , but  BC Premier Christy Clark  says the Federal Government  has been doing everything it can to   renew the Softwood lumber deal with the United States.

Premier Clark  says there are two main issues for BC  in the Softwood  deal  “What we want is, we want managed trade, and we want it with  no quotas so we have certainty and we have fairness across the country.”

“We haven’t see enough movement from our partners (the U.S.) in this negotiation” says Clark ” but no blame for that can be laid at the feet of the Federal Government, they seem to be doing everything they can, but   we are going to continue to work though and we are going to have to work harder as we are getting closer to the deadline and I don’t think we are getting closer in terms of where we are at the table.”

“We have to renew that deal  for managed trade  between our two countries” says Clark “There  are  many Americans who depend on direct trade with Canada,  we hear this discussion in the States happening where people are talking about building walls.  There  isn’t a good American President who made their country or the world great because they were talking about building walls,  they were talking about   tearing down walls and that is  what trade is all about,  taking down those (walls) around the world and making sure we can all  enrich the citizens by making sure trade is free between us.”

Clark says  removing barriers includes interprovincial  trade barriers.  There has been some discussion about bringing Manitoba into the Western Premiers group,  an idea  which has received a favourable reception from Manitoba.  “We’re all really  enthusiastic about it” says Clark .  “This free trade zone in the West will be growing, at the same time when all the  rest of the provinces are still struggling with inter provincial trade.  If you can’t trade within  Canada, how can we argue for free trade with other countries?  How can  we argue with the Americans when they want to put up walls?   We shouldn’t be   putting up  walls inside Canada,  we should be taking them down and including Manitoba in that would be a big  step,  It will mean we have four  power house resource driven provinces,  together, trading  equally within this country and it’s an example.”