mayor colin kinsley not only laid an egg; he also demonstrates the mind set and arrogance of most politicians today. it would be a pleasant change, if a leader could be trustworthy and honest, having canada and it's people their main concern.

The arrogance of the "King of P.G." is apalling.Pre-election B.S. is all it is.How can you trust someone that has so little respect for the electorate?

Did any of you actually think that Lil Collin was going to get to sit in the same room as Paul Martin......?????what a joke....bring on the election and send Lil Collin and his timley lipservice packing.....Foolish little man.
Rock

Skakun should make a reworded motion at next Council meeting .... though time has probably run out by now.

U.S. position on softwood lumber is 'nonsense,' Martin tells Wall Street

11:23 PM EDT Oct 06
BETH GORHAM

NEW YORK (CP) - In a speech to U.S. financial power brokers Thursday, Prime Minister Paul Martin blasted American intransigence in the acrimonious softwood lumber battle as "nonsense" and "a breach of faith."

Sharply criticized at home for not getting tougher with President George W. Bush to solve the longstanding problem, Martin let loose while talking to the Economic Club of New York with comments partly designed to soothe Canadian critics.

But he also warned the Wall Street crowd that America's refusal to recognize a final ruling in August under the North American Free Trade Agreement that sided with Canada is threatening the integrity of the continental pact and future economic relations.

And while Martin was careful not to directly link the softwood dispute with punishment for the United States on other trade fronts, he made it clear countries like China provide attractive markets for Canadian goods, including the oil Americans crave.

"Countries must live up to their agreements," he said.

"The duties must be refunded. Free trade must be fair trade."

"We have to recognize that NAFTA is a framework, not just for the trade of commodities but for the trade of most all goods and services, investment and energy - and for this to operate smoothly we have to be able to rely on the dispute-settlement mechanism."

It was the same message he delivered earlier Thursday during an interview with CNN and an hour-long editorial board of the Wall Street Journal newspaper.

The United States has collected some $5 billion Cdn in duties on softwood imports since May 2002. Canada wants the money back and the penalties stopped.

Canadian officials said Thursday there's mounting pressure in the United States to resolve the trade war, including a rising clamour from the U.S. housing industry following two devastating hurricanes.

"In any business relationship, you're going to have differences of opinion but you establish a mechanism to settle these differences, you accept the verdict...and move on," Martin told the high-powered audience of about 400 at a downtown Manhattan hotel.

"NAFTA established such a mechanism and ignoring it hurts not just Canadians but Americans."

Removing tariffs averaging 20 per cent on Canadian lumber imports would cut the cost of a new U.S. home by about $1,000 and allow 300,000 more Americans to afford mortgages, said Martin, adding many U.S. jobs depend on low-priced Canadian softwood.

"These tariffs make your lumber companies happy - American consumers and workers, not so happy," he said.

"When we ignore the rules, our economies suffer. I hope that is well understood and by Congress in particular."

Canada, which is considering penalties on exports to the U.S. to make up for the softwood losses, will continue its legal battle and advocate for resolution right up to the White House, said Martin.

"But we shouldn't have to do this. There's already a mechanism in place and we have a final decision."

"That decision should be accepted. That mechanism should be respected."

"If anything, it should be strengthened, to provide greater certainty and finality."

One lawyer in the audience thanked Martin for his candour. The group posed several questions, including one about China's growing interest in Alberta oil sands development.

"We're very excited about the opportunities," said Martin, adding Canada wants an equal chance to invest in China.

In his first speech to the club, Martin also broached U.S. plans to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, saying it threatens the migrating Porcupine River caribou herd and aboriginals in both countries who depend on it.

Congress is expected to soon vote on the measure.

It doesn't make sense to risk permanent damage to the Arctic environment for a minimal amount of oil, said Martin, when Canada's oil sands and hydroelectric resources have the potential to cover for what could be produced there.

Martin also touted Canada as a solid place for investment and emphasized the need for closer co-operation with the United States in light of terrorism and the rise of China and India as economic powerhouses.

Asked by CNN if the United States needs to be worried about extensive competition for Canada's oil, Martin said: "Let me be very clear about one thing, we are your closest friend."

"But there's no doubt that the entry of China and India on the world scene provides Canada with markets that have hitherto never been possible, huge consumer markets," said Martin.

"We're in a tremendous position. So we're going to take advantage of that but we do understand that fundamentally what we want is a strong North America."

But Martin kept coming back to softwood.

"What we're really saying is: 'Look, we want to work with you in a wide range of areas but if we have rules, then we've got to live up to those rules.' "

The softwood battle has long been bitter but it boiled over this summer. Canadian officials halted negotiations when they realized the United States wouldn't abide by a ruling from NAFTA's extraordinary-challenge committee.

The panel, which Martin called NAFTA's "final court of appeal," found no threat of injury to U.S. producers from Canadian exports.

Another trade panel released a fifth report Wednesday instructing the U.S. Commerce Department to kill most of the duties charged on softwood from north of the border by Oct. 28.

Martin has been intensely criticized by opposition parties, premiers and Canadian lumber companies who have said he hasn't done enough.

The prime minister's plans to telephone Bush about the issue this summer were overtaken by U.S. preoccupation with hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The monster storms have bumped up demand for Canadian softwood for massive reconstruction projects.

Martin also had a boost last week from Mexican President Vicente Fox, who said on a visit to Canada he fully supports Ottawa's demand the NAFTA dispute resolution process is respected.

And last month, Martin made a direct pitch to China, hoping more softwood sales there would reduce reliance on the U.S. market.

The U.S. administration has ignored NAFTA rulings in favour of opinions from the World Trade Organization upholding its view Canadian softwood is dumped on the U.S. market at unfairly subsidized low prices.

U.S. lumber producers have launched a constitutional challenge of the way disputes are settled under NAFTA, saying the process is absurd and biased.



© The Canadian Press, 2005

I like how posters like us get credit in that report for giving Martin the cover needed to go all out on the attack.

Keep up the good work. LOL

PM accused of hurting free trade

Last Updated Sat, 08 Oct 2005 08:03:45 EDT

CBC News

Business leaders and opposition politicians are criticizing a speech by Paul Martin, in which he suggested the softwood lumber dispute could hurt other U.S.-Canada trade activities.

In a hard-hitting speech in New York Thursday, Martin referred to U.S. reluctance to live up to NAFTA rulings favorable to Canada on softwood lumber tariffs as "nonsense and a breach of faith."

He hinted that the dispute could spill over into other trade areas, and could even affect Canada's willingness to allow the U.S. ready access to Canadian energy resources.


The U.S. expects to increase its energy imports from Canada this winter, including taking in more natural gas. That's because the U.S. will be able to produce less energy of its own, due to damage from the recent Gulf Coast hurricanes, Katrina and Rita.

Peter MacKay, deputy leader of the Conservative Party, said Martin's linking softwood and energy is "very dangerous." He urged the government to "get back to diplomacy at the highest levels."

The fear in some business circles is that any spillover from softwood to other trade arrangements could lead to a trade war with the U.S. that could impair the effectiveness of the North America Free Trade Agreement. The agreement is generally seen by the business community as working well for Canada.

Anne Golden, president of the Conference Board of Canada, was dismissive of the Martin approach. "We need NAFTA; we've done very well under NAFTA," she told The Globe and Mail. "It's not in Canada's interest to abandon it."

And Jack Mintz, head of the C.D. Howe Institute, described the linkage between softwood and other trade areas as "non-sensical. But to settle the softwood lumber dispute, does that mean we undersell energy products?"

Finance Minister Ralph Goodale appeared to downplay the impact of Martin's speech, denying that he had linked softwood and energy trade.

"The prime minister did not make a linkage between softwood and energy, but he did make the point that NAFTA itself is drawn into question when NAFTA's rules are obviously ignored."

In his New York speech, Martin accused the U.S. of undermining the dispute settlement mechanism in the free trade agreement -- and pointed out that the same mechanism governs free trade in other areas, including energy.

The prime minister also hinted that Canada could find other markets for raw materials, especially in major emerging markets such as India and China.

"Yes, I did a tough speech," Martin said Friday. "But it had to be said, it had to be done. We are close friends, and you've got to be able to tell your close friends the truth."

Is anyone out there really gullible enough they believed Martin was meeting with Kinsley.
Yeah, we saw a prime example of "Puff the magic dragon" play acting once again!!!!
I am pleased Martin finally took a stand against the United States.
The pansies can complain until hell freezes over, but it really is time we stood up to be counted.
As far as Emerson is concerned-we might as well forget he is even there. He has become useless, and is not going to make any waves as he will be busy protecting his own position.
Funny Colin did not settle for the President of Mexico-or was he also unavailable???
I cannot quit laughing!!!!