Panel data provided by Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter.

Softwood Dispute Just an Annoying Western Splinter for Ottawa

By Ben Meisner

We may have won yet another round in the soft wood lumber dispute, our problem however remains not with the US but rather with our own federal government which is more than reluctant to put the matter of free trade with the US to the ultimate test. 

When NAFTA was put together, it was generally agreed that the big winners were those people living north of Detroit in the Golden Horseshoe. Canadians living in that region stood to cash in, in a big way in the auto business firstly through the  Auto pact, and then NAFTA.  The deal was a winner for Canada, but it has come with a price. 

We may be winning at the table in the soft wood lumber negotiations, the problems come when we ask our Federal Government to go to bat for us in the west. 

Tramp on the toes of the US in the lumber dispute, and you bring out the really big guns, who will say lets re negotiate the auto deal, with a better fix for the US. That isn’t going to happen folks, and so while we hear all sorts of "we won, now give us our money back" in western Canada, when it comes to Soft wood lumber, it’s a yawner in Ottawa... 

Until the west can fashion some sort of clout that results in more seats in the federal parliament than the golden horseshoe, (consider Toronto has 40 seats alone ) we are not going anywhere . 

The big players are saying, let the people of the west vent all they want, then hopefully we can negotiate a settlement that appeases the US. 

David Emerson went to Ottawa feeling that if he was in parliament he would be able to affect change .

Well he spouted off and pretty soon, he was being told not to ruffle the feathers of those folks who really count in the golden horseshoe. 

Notice how quiet he has become on the issue. 

That, is one man's opinion.



Previous Story - Next Story



Return to Home