I have not followed these people's record in parliament to any great extent since I have yet to hear any words of wisdom to pay attention to. Both are simply occupying seats. It appears that the party is thinking the same way since neither of them were chosen for cabinet.

Then again, they could not have done worse than Emerson, nor been more arrogant than Emerson.

What constituents are opposed to the deal? How many constituents even understand what it is about. Canfor who owns most mills in the area are ready to accept the deal. I havent checked out the other mills, however can we consider these Forest Companys as constituents??? To assume that people in this area understand the Lumber Agreement, and that they are opposed to it is incorrect.

Since when have the Major Forest Companys become the concern of the everyday Citizens. Their main concern has always been to operate with as few people as possible, and to protect their own interests.

These companys are big players, and it is not up to us to protect their interests with the Government. They can look after themselves. If they dont like the agreement they do not have to sign it.

This file has been going on for years, and our local representatives were in opposition during most of the negotiations.

The Harper Government has accepted the agreement as it now stands and it is up to the Forest Companys to accept it or reject it., What I or other constituents in these ridings think about it will have little or no consequence.

Its time to settle this matter and go on to something else.

I really wonder what the 2-MP's from our area could do anyways.
It is that piece of crap Harper, and his side kick, the BIGGEST loser of all time IMHO emerson, that really sold us out.

Emerson should be canned from any job ever again, and find some charges to arrest him on and give him 20 years in prison to think about what a jerk he has been.

I would guess that charges and coviction of stealing billions of dollars from all the Canadian citizens should get a lengthy jail term.....and we all know he did just that.

ps. to my rant above.
When i saw him on the news last night i nearly puked.
He not only sold us all out, he then bragged about it.

Saying its the best we could ever do....strange since the highest court in the world found 100% in our favour.

Had emerson even been slightly humble it would not have been so upsetting.
But i guess he is just too dishonest to say the truth.
Which is, he is a poor negotiator, and he was beaten up by the USA.... and finally a broken man, just gave in to their offer, even though it was a bad offer.

Because that is exactly what happened....and ya its a fact.

Palopu sounds like Dick Harris himself.

IMO the Harper government is turning out to be a complete failure, which is a disappointment because I supported them in the past. Harper has abandoned his principles of open government, elected government, and representative government. The rush to a deal for political purposes is a sell out to the nation and an uncomfortable common place early on in this conservative government.

I think the Harper foreign policy is a national disgrace the last few days, Harpers first overseas with other world leaders. His comments in London were a shame on Canada with his 'unconditional support of Israeli war on terrorism'.

I think the events of the last few days warrant the Canadian government taking the traditional role of calling for restraint out of respect for our historical values as a nation. Harpers neocon role on the international scene is disturbing.

My Canada does not support collective punishment of civilian populations like the bombing of a international civilian airport, civilian highways and overpasses, bridges and other basic essential infrastructure of a nation. To make no mention of the casual bombing of civilian residentual areas. My Canada doesn't support a so clled modern military killing over 200 civilians in collateral damage in what should be a police action over the last week alone.

Harpers Canada supports the unilateral actions of a rouge nation inciting hatered against the west through deadly force actions against a defenseless civilian population.

Harpers foreign policy takes the moral low road, abandons Canadian values, and puts our country at future risk for supporting the exceptions to the Geneva Convention for a people who's allies will then use that fact as 'justification' to attack our interests at home and abroad.

Damn it the Martin government never looked so good. I don't think we will see this conservative government last past October.

Harper and Emerson appear to have bedded together long before it became public knowledge.
I recall the adoration which seemed to be Emerson's just due for quite a long period prior to his entering politics.
The rose colored glasses stayed on for quite a long time-did they not?
Now his underlying motives may have come to light, and we are awakening to the realization his plans have finally reached fruition with his capability of bonding with Harper.
I think the sell out was a foregone conclusion.
Don't slap the voting public in the face with this deception too quickly after Emerson's crossing to the so called enemy side.
Oh what fools! The voting public that is.

People may not understand the intricacies of an agreement on lumber, but they do understand underhand dealing. They do understand that we have a treaty with the USA, one that was rammed down our throats by a previous Conservative government, NAFTA, and that the US government refuses to honour it. I think that is the underlying cause of the antipathy to this agreement.

I am not in the least surprised about the agreement being amde by Emerson and Harper, it is likely the sole reason Emerson treated his constitutents with so much contempt by switching parties in the first place. Harper, of course, just wants to be seen as the Wonder Boy, solving problems a succession of Liberal Prime Ministers could not.

I don't want to get into Middle East policy too much, but I would ask one question. Most Western Leaders state often that, "Israel has the right to defend itself", and who could disagree with that. My questions is does Lebanon also have the right to defend itself even if it is by going to war with Israel? Would Harper support their right to do so, as he does Israel's right to bomb their land?

Palopu. The NAFTA is an agreement among nations, not companies. The agreement and the process it outlines hasve been hijaked by another Nation, the USA. There was no negotiation among companies. If there was, part of me would say so be it, it is the cost of doing business.

However, one should not accept it even if that were the situation. The end result of a company making a bad business deal will eventually hit the consumer, either through higher prices, higher insurance rates, or higher interest rates at the bank, or all of the aforementioned.

The cost of doing business is paid for by the consumer. As simple as that. There is no magic pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for businesses.

The fact that Jay Hill and Dick Harris were given no significant role in the new federal government demonstrates how inept they are, even by Stephen Harper's standards. Dealing with complex public policy demands a heck of a lot more more than a smile and a shoeshine.

Chandermando. Sounds like you are discribing what happened in Afganistan, the bombing of Cities, and killing of innocent civilians et al;
We are supporting the Americans in Afganistan, who are responsible to a large part in what happened in Afganistan, even though a few years previous we supported the Taliban when they were fighting the Russians. World situations are somewhat confusing at the best of times and people need to take some time to try and understand what is going on rather than shooting from the lip with trite and I might say time worn phrases.

Owl. All treaties signed by Nations are only as good as either Country wants them to be. If the Americans do not like the NAFTA agreement they will do whatever they can to dump it. We can do what we can to keep it in place, however at the end of the day we will have to accept reality. This final settlement will give us access to 35% of the American Lumber Market. How much do we want 50% 75% all of it. We all complained when NAFTA was put in place, and now we are whining because the Americans wont live up to an agreement that most Canadians didnt want in the first place. **Go Figger** Canadian resources will always be protected to a certain level by the simple laws of supply and demand. What you really should be watching out for is that once this agreement is in place the lumber companies will use it as an excuse to close mills and get rid of jobs. That is probably their long range plan. You've heard what Shakespeare said.
**He doth protest to much**

Insofar as Emerson goes. A quick look at his working history will reveal that he worked for the NDP Provincial Government, The Liberal Federal Govenment, The Conservative Federal Government, The Vancouver Airport Authority, CEO of Canfor Corp. and held some position with the Ferry Corp. under the present Liberal Government., therefore we can conclude that he is associated with all Governments, Liberal,Conservative, and NDP., other Government Agencies, and of course Private Industry. Somewhat of a Chameleon I would say. Dont try to hang this guy on Harper. He stared with the NDP, went to the Liberals, and is now a Conservative.

Was everyone wrong on this guy, or were they right. In any event they all seem to love him.

I think that Canada as a nation has been sold out to the USA by our present government.
I for one will never allow them, the USA, to dictate to me. They will have take me out feet first and I wish them good luck in that endeavor.
I feel our government is leading down the path, and I doubt they, the Canadian government, even know where it is going but I feel the end will be anything but pleasing.

Palofpoop writes,

"World situations are somewhat confusing at the best of times and people need to take some time to try and understand what is going on rather than shooting from the lip with trite and I might say time worn phrases."

I couldn't agree more. First off we supported the Mujahadeen and not the Taliban in the fight against Russia. The Mujahadeen then lost the fight to the Taliban after the west abandoned Afghanistan when the dirty work was done.

The current conflict in Afghanistan was clearly planned well in advance to get around the Taliban-Bridas Corp(Argentina) contract to build a pipeline from the Caspian Sea to the Indian Ocean. This is well documented in the Texas State court case in which Unical paid hundreds of millions in compensation for a settlement to Bridas Corp. Unical had Dick Channey and Donald Rumsfield in their corner and are now the builders of the Afghan pipeline.

That said Canada's role in Afghanistan is a positive role for the people of Afghanistan supporting nation building, and bringing the rule of law to the land holding both Taliban terrorists and American forces to a standard of civility. I could not say this if we too used false pretence for going to war, but we stated at the onset that our mission was one of nation building, and our record their has been exemplary. No comparison to either Israeli or Iraqi situations.


The situation of ethnic cleansing, collective punishment, bombing civilian essential infrastructure, and death squads without trial as well as imprisonment without trial in violation of the Geneva Conventions are something I never thought I would live to hear a Canadian Prime Minister support in public. By supporting the suspension of Geneva Convention rights to these people Harper in effect supports the use of terrorism in response as a reciprocal treatment of our interests by their insurgents.

I don't support the terrorist in the Middle East, but at some point we need to step back as a nation and assess what our values are and how our support for one sides atrocities over another involve our nation in their conflict.

Harper is proving to arrogant and ignorant to realize this.

Chamberman.

Canadian peace keeping forces historically went into areas wearing the blue helmets of the U.N. Since when do we go into Countries in full combat brigades, shooting up the Citizens of that Country and call it Nation Building.

Nation Building would be one of the **Trite Phrases** that we can use to give the impression that we have a right to be where we are.

The fact of the matter is that Canada, Britain, and the rest of the so-called Nation Builders are where they are because their well being depends on the Americans, and the Americans told them to be there. Puppets one and all.

You are probably right in regards to the Pipeline to the Indian Ocean, however you also probably know that the Americans (President Clinton) finianced the pipline from the Caspian Sea throught Azerbaijan, Georgia, Northern Turkey to the Mediterranean coast, thus securing another source of oil for the West. If you and I know whats going on, then we can assume that our Governments, ie: Liberal, Conservative, and NDP also know and that by their silence are giving tacit support to this type of explotation.

The Government of President Karzai of Afganistan is corrupt to the core, and is only able to hold on to power in the immediate area of Kabul, and only there because he has the support of some Warloads, whom he has put into his cabinet. Hardly a Government that we should hold up as an example.

I feel that it is a National Crime that Canadian Soldiers are dying in this Country for reasons that are not very well explained. We need some open discussion on this subject, and I am sure we will get it, in due course. In the meantime remember that it was the Liberal Paul Martin, who arranged for the troops to go to Afganistan, and Harper is carrying on with this policy, however it did not originate with him.

So, what is it you would be expecting him to say? He supports the deal. It has been signed. They did the best they could and made a decision to move ahead rather than continue to drag this out.

Can we move on? Or are we going to continue to whine and snivel about what wasn't done? Chester

Yeah, we are going to continue to whine and snivel until justice is served, so better get used to it Chester.
Now a ruling comes down that the Americans cannot keep any of those billions.
Maybe affixing signatures was a bit premature-what do you say now?
Your turn to whine and snivel.

Maybe it is time for Canada to invoke the exact same tarrifs, duties, and border restrictions on those south of the border as they do to us....

I find it amazing how they whine and cry when they feel at a disadvantage. Typical bully syndrome.

"Maybe it is time for Canada to invoke the exact same tarrifs, duties, and border restrictions on those south of the border as they do to us...."

I see the Okanagan apple growers are being forced to the wall by large scale dumping of American grown apples, again.

"Dumping" because of subsidies keeping the prices artificially low.

Now, Stephen Harper, it is your duty to protect our Canadian growers and here is your opportunity to impose heavy duties on the American apples - then give the money to the Canadian producers.

Don't settle for anything less; the longer you can let the dispute drag on the more money you will get to keep.

Is it going to happen? NO, of course not.

Hail also hit many of the Okanagan growers crops. Looks like a lot of apple juice will be on the menu.
And yes, the Americans have a great crop, and fully expect a goodly portion will be sold on the Canadian side.
If one could compare apples to lumber-you might have a valid point, diplomat.
As it stands- better drink lots of apple juice-and make certain it was produced in the sunny Okanagan.
They sure hit us hard with the price of cherries. Don't worry-they capitalize every opportunity-no different than on the other side of the border.
Survival of the fittest-that is the name of the game. Nothing has changed.

I won't be buying american goods of any kind if I can find them from another source or if I can do without them or substitute something else, which usually happens....