Emerson Appointed to Help Secure Softwood Lumber Deal
Prince George, B.C.- Former Canfor CEO David Emerson has been appointed as the B.C. Trade Envoy to the U.S. to work with the Federal Government and the United States in reaching a new Softwood Lumber Agreement.
Emerson has also served as a Federal Cabinet minister and was Deputy Minister in B.C..
In making the announcement, Premier Christy Clark says she is pleased he has accepted the position “”We are very fortunate to add his experience and expertise to our softwood lumber team as we stand up for B.C.’s forestry workers. This sends a strong signal that we are interested in finding a long-term solution to this wasteful dispute even as we remain determined and prepared to take on any softwood litigation and win.”
Emerson in his role as federal minister of international trade, signed the Softwood Lumber Agreement in 2006. “I am very excited to be able to help Premier Christy Clark and the Province secure a new Softwood Lumber agreement,” said Emerson in a statement released this afternoon. “I am looking forward to working collaboratively with the B.C. lumber industry and Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.A., David MacNaughton, as we defend B.C. companies, workers and communities against the false subsidy allegations made by the U.S. lumber industry.”
Emerson already has begun the briefing process in order to start dialogues with legislators and the U.S.A. administration as quickly as possible. It is anticipated that his first visit to Washington, D.C. will take place in March in advance of the imposition of expected countervailing duties being applied to B.C. lumber exports to the United States.
Comments
Really, this guy hardly has the interest of our communities or smaller companies at heart. He is not the person to a achieve an agreement that works for independents and will throw them under the bus in a second.
Dippers gotta hate
With Trump in charge down there and the people he has hand selected to handle the US side of this negotiation, I suspect you may be a better representative for us since you speak the same ideology. ;-)
Agreed Millman55, and this 2006 article from the Georgia Straight tells it like it is;
“In an interview, Will Horter of the Dogwood Initiative, a land-reform NGO, said Emerson’s intervention with Campbell led to “massive deregulation, which reduced public oversight and turned over every meaningful decision involving forestry to the [big] companies”. Until the new legislation, all transfers of forest tenure required public hearings in affected communities. That democratic process was gone with the stroke of a pen.”
ht tp://www.straight.com/article/emerson-not-at-b-c-s-service
Christy is dead wrong when she say we have a person (in David Emerson) who will “stand up for B.C.’s Forest Workers”. In my opinion, Emerson will stand up alright, but it will be for the major forestry corporations operating in BC, not the workers or the communities!
Nothing to do with his last softwood deal in 2006, you know the one the federal Liberals couldn’t get negotiated last time? Gotta bring in some people who actually know the system instead of MPs who get handed a file and are expected to iron out a deal by our PM. Maybe send ” sayanythinghorgan” ?
But, dippers gotta hate, hate, hate
Oh, you must mean the 2006 softwood lumber agreement Emerson recommended the Harper Government sign just before the World Trade Organization ruled in Canada’s favour. After signing it, we got stuck imposing fines on our own lumber industry as part of that signed agreement when we didn’t have to according to the later WTO ruling… you mean that 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement slinky???
Can’t wait for Mr. Emerson to negotiate more in our best interests… *sigh*
again has nothing to do with the agreement. Canada always wins the softwood disputes but it doesn’t mean diddly they just slap another fine or extra countervailing duties on without an agreement in place
Nice try but dippers gotta hate
Georgia Straight??? This is an Alternative Facts publication if there ever was one. Should we send an unemployed hippie protester to negotiate on behalf of Canada on the soft wood lumber file? Emerson is probably one of the most qualified people we have in Canada to deal with this issue.
Ryder is right. Emerson is likely the most qualified person.
We would love to have this sorted out once and for all. But a WTO ruling wouldn’t have sorted this out. All it would have meant was that the US changed the rules and we had to go through another 5 years of litigation, only to have the US change the rules again. There is no way to ‘win’. The US has to see some value in sorting this out, or nothing will ever come of it.
The fact is, Emerson did a pretty good job of sorting it out the last time.
Ryder x 100
What’s Harper doing.
Harper is sitting back enjoying life, and watching Monty Phythons flying circus try to run this country.
Emerson was a Cabinet Minister in Paul Martin’s Liberal Government, and later crossed the floor to join the Harper Government and negotiate the Softwood Lumber Agreement in 2006. Seems he will now try and get the Liberals and Christy out of a sticky situation.
The agreement is Federal, pretty bad when the provinces have to step in to get the deal done.
Zimmer probably did more for the agreement during breakfast than the entire Liberal negotiating team in a year and a half which is sad.
Does the Georgia straight give out mining claims?
Dint yah know, GS is against mining, might hurt the rocks, LOL!
Glad to see Emerson in this position, very well qualified.
Qualified?? is a joke,
Just the same old, tired Cronies dipping into the public trough for another top-up.
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