Federal NDP Leader Smart to Visit: One Man's Opinion
By Ben Meisner
Federal NDP leader Jack Layton's visit to the beetle infested areas of the province along with his first hand look at the soft wood lumber file, paints a picture of an opposition that may not hold the Harper government in power well into the fall.
The province, whether it is admitting it or not , doesn’t like the soft wood lumber deal. Quebec and Ontario share that sentiment. So you have the perfect opportunity to bring the Conservative government down on a deal that is generally viewed as bad by a large segment oaf the population.
The fact that yet another court ruling has said Canada is entitled to get back the entire duties paid, only further fosters that argument.
The fact the US lumber coalition is to receive 50% of those billion dollars no doubt has been, in some measure, the reason why CANFOR is supporting the agreement. Canfor stands to receive money north of the border and also south of the border through its US mills. Canfor's U.S. mills by the way had been leading the charge on the softwood lumber file south of the 49th before being purchased by Canfor.
You can be almost guaranteed that had the Liberals had a new leader in place, the Conservatives would be fighting an election in part over the soft wood lumber file.
Now just what did, ‘Steve” give up in addition to the $500 Million to the US lumber producers?
Is the Auto Pact safe? Harper can rise or fall over the votes in the Golden Triangle and that is where the Pact counts.
To illustrate the importance that has been attached to the softwood file, our Local MP’s are quieter than church mice on the topic. The impact will no doubt be felt the most in the constituencies for Hill and Harris. but you wouldn't know it, if you relied on them to give you the news on the matter.
Layton smells a crack in the Tory armour in this area and he is taking advantage of it.
I’m Meisner and that is one man's opinion.
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Posted by: kimbo on July 17 2006 10:16 AM
For years Hill has proclaimed himself as being more concerned about representing the wishes of his constituents than about party politics. In many of his newsletters for instance, he has used the wishes of constituents as a reason to justify his personal opposition to vote against some human rights legislation.
It is now very clear that his constituents want him to vote against the softwood lumber agreement. Will he do what he has always said his parties' philosophy allows? I doubt it. He will almost certainly follow the Conservative party line and vote for Harper's deal, that is, after all, what is in his own best interest.
There is a word for those who say one thing and do another, but it escapes me at the moment.