“Thousands of forestry jobs have been lost and businesses are closing. What is the status of negotiations to help the forestry sector?”

“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member’s comments, but what does he think about the forestry sector? Thousands of jobs have been lost and businesses are closing. What is the status of the negotiations for the forestry sector?”

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“American tariffs are hurting Canadian businesses and costing people their jobs. The Prime Minister is doing nothing to stop them. He needs to negotiate directly with the United States to end these tariffs instead of offering temporary loans.”

“Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time. It is a pleasure, a privilege and an honour for me to stand before this House to represent and defend the interests of the people of Beauce. I am rising today to condemn the Prime Minister’s inaction in response to U.S. tariffs. The Prime Minister was elected on a promise to quickly resolve the issue with the Americans. Since then, nothing has been resolved. Worse still, the tariffs have doubled. The unjustified tariffs imposed by the United States have caused economic chaos for all Canadian communities from coast to coast to coast, and especially in my region, Beauce, the capital of entrepreneurship. The impact is real. Our workers, our businesses and our families are being hit hard. Let us be clear: every day these U.S. tariffs remain in place, jobs are lost, businesses are closing and others are at risk. The steel, lumber, and manufacturing sectors—such as garage door and furniture manufacturing—are particularly vulnerable and at risk. While our regions suffer, this Liberal government is showing a glaring lack of leadership in defending Canada and in initiating formal negotiations with the Americans to achieve results. The Prime Minister likes to talk about a tariff war, but all he does is announce temporary measures. At the end of the day, these are nothing more than band-aid solutions. There has been no progress in seven months. That is insane. The Prime Minister has no interest in tackling the root of the problem, which are the U.S. tariffs, nor is he taking the time to do so. I invite the Prime Minister to come visit Beauce and see what businesses are going through. Let him come see the workers who are losing their jobs. The Prime Minister is deliberately refusing to negotiate with the Americans. It makes no sense. My message to the Prime Minister is simple: The U.S. tariffs are a harsh reality. They are killing jobs, forcing businesses to close, and taking a toll on families. Once again, it is business owners and families who are being hit hard. Our businesses are suffering. Yet again, this is the result of a lack of leadership, a glaring lack of action, and an outright abandonment of our businesses by the Prime Minister. Along the U.S. border in Beauce, the impact is even more severe. Some businesses generate 90% of their sales from exports to the United States. The government is just tinkering as it goes. It lends money; it provides subsidies. However, the people and businesses of Beauce do not want government money; they do not want to depend on the government. Instead, they want the government to give them the tools to make their products. They are proud people, but they do not have the tools. The government says it wants a fair deal with the Americans, but it is not even talking to them. It is not even taking the time to speak with them. This is unacceptable. This government is lacking leadership. As I mentioned, every day that this tariff war continues, jobs are being lost and businesses are relocating. Local businesses are relocating and sending their contracts to the United States. That is what is happening. This was supposed to be resolved a year ago, but the government keeps putting it off and doing nothing. Once again, this is a lack of leadership. I recently had the opportunity to visit Garaga, a local company and the largest garage door manufacturer in Canada and North America. It is a real jewel in our community. The new section 232 tariffs on steel, which have applied as of early April, have quite simply made Canadian manufacturers uncompetitive, with total tariffs of 50% on finished products. It is also important to consider the exchange rate and finished products. The government has not implemented any measures on imports from Indonesia. These imports are coming in to the tune of $600 million. The Americans, however, have done so. We have no tools to work with. We are not competitive. Our manufacturers have the necessary resilience, but negotiations must move forward. I met with Canada’s ambassador to the United States last week. It has been seven months since talks have happened. Someone needs to explain that to me. The reality is clear. People in Canada and in Beauce do not want or need temporary measures. They do not want band-aid solutions. They want a negotiated agreement. I cannot express that enough. They want a level playing field for businesses and predictability from the government to help them maintain their productivity and competitiveness. Again, during the election campaign, the Prime Minister claimed he was the leader best equipped to deal with the U.S. President and protect our interests. Now the tariffs have doubled. Let him go explain that to South Shore Furniture in Sainte-Croix. It does not matter. The Prime Minister declared that the Americans have become our weakness. Let us go explain that to the people who lost their jobs at South Shore Furniture. That is 126 workers. At Domtar in Baie-Comeau, 186 workers lost their jobs. Let the Prime Minister go explain that the Americans are our weakness. The Americans will always be our biggest financial partners in exports. I am all for developing new markets. That is great. However, I have enough experience to know that new markets will not pay off for another 10 or 20 years. We need to make progress today. Today, that means focusing on the United States. This raises the following question: Why are we not actively engaged in negotiations with our largest trading partner? Hundreds of thousands of jobs are on the line. Some of our finest companies are fighting for their survival. Families are being hit hard. I will say it again: The negotiators have not spoken in seven months. The government lacks leadership on this file. I have talked about this: For India, it is 650 million dollars’ worth of imports. Our steelworkers are not being protected. There are also 193 million dollars’ worth of imports from Indonesia. The problem is only in Canada. Negotiations between Mexico and the United States are going quite well. Meanwhile, Canada is sitting on the sidelines. I would like someone to explain that to me. It is deliberate. Avoiding these negotiations is unacceptable. The Prime Minister claims to be the right man for the job, but his actions say otherwise. I invite him to come to Beauce to talk with the workers who have lost their jobs, the people at the businesses on the verge of experiencing difficulties, the businesses that are once again going to send their production abroad. At a press conference in Beauce last week, one of them, a prized local business, told me that if this continues, the business will move its jobs from Beauce to the United States. That is sad. It is sad that this government is not taking action. It is sad that all this government is doing is making announcements, not taking action. It is not tackling the root of the problem: the U.S. tariffs. As I have said, the exchange rate is the reason we are not competitive. Every day, the government says it is helping our businesses. Loans do not help businesses; they hurt them. One need not have spent 30 years in business to know that. If businesses take out more loans, they will eventually have trouble paying them back. They will not be profitable. The ambassador says he is ready to negotiate, and the U.S. says it is ready, so why are they not calling each other? He says he has their number, so why is he not sending them a message? Our businesses are suffering because of these threats, and they have had enough. Why is the government not taking steps to protect our steel sector? The government is offering band-aid solutions while our global competitors are protecting their markets aggressively. This government’s response is a day late and a dollar short. Let me be clear: The Liberal government is still deliberately choosing to delay negotiations with the United States, and that is unacceptable. Our constituents expect us, as members, to stand up for them, not our own personal interests. That is why we are here: to stand up for our constituents. The government’s job is to stand up for them and reach an agreement with the Americans. Canadians expect their government to be at the negotiating table, to fight for them, day in and day out, until the agreement is signed. In closing, I urge the Liberal Prime Minister to show leadership and stand up for Canada’s interests on this issue.”

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“We do not need temporary solutions. We need a permanent fix, which means negotiating in good faith to resolve the tariffs.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac‑Saint‑Jean, an incredible region that I visited last week with my children for a tournament. In my opinion, this is just another band-aid solution. I am repeating myself, but we do not need band-aid solutions or temporary measures. We need permanent measures. There is only one permanent measure, and it involves sitting down with the government, negotiating in good faith and resolving the tariff situation.”

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“Canada's biggest trade partner will always be the United States. Other trade deals will not fix our problems. The government needs to talk to the American president and make a trade deal.”

“Mr. Speaker, I agree that no one wants a bad deal. However, if a mouse pesters an elephant, the elephant will end up stomping on the mouse. What happened? The tariffs doubled. Why? It is because they did not have a discussion. The government can take all the measures it wants and negotiate deals all over the world, but that is not going to fix the real problem, which is that our biggest trade deal will always be with the U.S. The government needs to sit down, pick up the phone, call the White House and get a deal.”

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“Tariffs are hurting the manufacturing and auto workers in my riding, and people are losing their jobs. I want the member to explain how these tariffs are hurting his riding too.”

“Mr. Speaker, earlier, the member for Winnipeg North said negotiations take time. As the representative for London—Fanshawe, we have a large manufacturing base. These tariffs are hitting Canada, and especially my riding, hard. My concern is what I should tell my constituents who have to line up at the food bank and are now in the unemployment line in the manufacturing sectors, especially the auto sector, which has been hit hard by the tariffs. I wonder if my hon. colleague could expand on how the tariffs are hurting his riding as much as they are hurting London—Fanshawe.”

“My riding is on the U.S. border, and our businesses do most of their work with the United States. New tariffs are hurting them. People in my riding do not want government handouts. I want the government to negotiate a fair trade deal with the Americans.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague. As I mentioned earlier, my riding is on the U.S. border. We have lived alongside the U.S. for decades. Some of the companies in my riding do 90% of their total business, not just exports, on the other side of the tariffs. We are right up against the border. It is like the bridge here between Ottawa and Gatineau. My colleague needs to understand that we have been physically dealing with the U.S. for years. That is why our businesses are hurting so much. As I said earlier, the people of Beauce do not want money. They do not want to be dependent on the government. They want this government to step up and show leadership. They want it to call our U.S. counterparts, sit down with them and negotiate a win-win deal.”

“The Prime Minister said our relationship with the United States is a weakness. Many people tell me that is ridiculous. We should focus on working with the Americans, not China.”

“Mr. Speaker, my colleague was kind enough to flatter me a bit, so I will calm down before answering. The PM said “Who cares?” and stated that our ties to America “have become weaknesses”. It is remarkable how many people come up to me and say that this is ridiculous. The focus should not be on China, but rather on the Americans.”

“Today is Red Dress Day to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. I support the motion condemning American tariffs on Canadian steel, copper, and aluminum. Government spending does not replace lost trade, and Canadian workers need a real trade deal now. The Prime Minister must seriously negotiate an end to this trade dispute.”

“Mr. Speaker, before I start, I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that, today, May 5, is Red Dress Day, when Canadians and our indigenous partners acknowledge, honour and learn about the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Canada. I would like to thank the advocates from coast to coast to coast for their advocacy and teaching on this matter. I would especially like to thank the member for Winnipeg Centre for her efforts in bringing the issue into the public consciousness and into this chamber. I am happy to rise today to speak to the Bloc Québécois motion condemning the United States’ unfair and unjustifiable tariffs on Canada and, as the motion states, Quebec. I will lead with one comment. I was fairly certain that this motion, which was tabled the Friday prior to the government’s announcement yesterday, would be a castoff. I suspect that the only questions and speeches we will hear from the government are about how the $1.5 billion announced yesterday is going to magically fix billions of dollars in lost tariffs. However, I am happy for any opportunity to speak to the broader issue of the source of this malaise: tariffs. Yes, the Liberals announced something. Granted, it took over one year, but the point still remains. The issue here is that people do not want a handout. They do not want a band-aid. They want a deal, and patience is wearing thin. Being in constant conversation with the affected industries, I want to thank all members in this place for the pan-partisan support the affected industries and, more importantly, their workers have received from all parties in this place during this trade war. It is always good to be reminded that although we may have differing views on the best path, generally speaking, this place has the same goals in mind. I have to imagine that the vast majority of members in this place have at one point or another met with local industries in their ridings that are part of the downstream from the three specific industries mentioned in the motion from my colleague from Joliette—Manawan: steel, copper and aluminum. Of course, these punitive tariffs affect far more than just these three industries, but they are by and large the major targets in this current trade war. The very unfortunate reality is that these protectionist attacks on Canadian workers are working. The government has been extremely clear. It is the negotiator, and it does not want any help. Canadians may not know this, but this is in sharp contrast to previous trade negotiations with the U.S., when the previous government was more than happy to march hand in hand with the opposition down to Washington, where we remained a silent but willing partner to help the government do what was best for Canada. That is the government’s prerogative, as is the self-described slow approach, but this brings pitfalls. However, given the Liberals’ current polling, the pitfalls are not for them. It is no secret that the U.S. administration’s actions in this situation have broadly galvanized the average Canadian into a patriotic fever, granting a wide breadth to the current government and propelling the Liberals in the polls. The voting public is, by and large, content with the Prime Minister’s approach. This is what the polls tell us. I am not here to argue with the pollsters, but I am here to talk about the element that is never brought up in the various community Facebook groups or at the coffee tables of the nation, which is the unseen, unspoken victims of this approach. According to Statistics Canada, “iron and steel mills and ferro-alloy manufacturing (-19.1%) recorded its steepest decline since April 2020, coinciding with lower exports of steel products, as the US tariffs on Canadian steel imports doubled to 50% at the beginning of June.” To reiterate, the last time steel took this big a hit globally, trade shut down. The economic equivalent of the current U.S. tariffs on the Canadian industry is a once-in-a-century global pandemic, which brought global trade to its knees. This is the economic reality of Canadian trade. Pre-tariffs, 80% of exports went to the United States. Nearly $1 trillion in trade flowed annually across our borders. Now, hundreds of thousands of Canadians employed in the industry are affected in one way or another by trade between two of the longest and strongest allies the world has ever seen. The Prime Minister did not start this trade war, and his predecessor did not start this trade war, but he can end it. Every day this trade war drags on, it costs Canadians jobs and hammers our economy. I am not asking the Prime Minister to take any old deal. I am asking him to start negotiating for a serious resolution to this dispute. He has the political capital to wait. Canadian workers and families do not. I want to finish off by thanking the various industry associations, manufacturers, unions and workers for their work. They have tirelessly raised the various issues these unjustified and unfair tariffs have brought to their lives. This is a massively convoluted and complex issue that requires pan‑partisan support on both sides of the border to resolve. I will again offer to the government my support, as well as that of my caucus colleagues, to collaborate and co‑operate with them in any way we can, whether at home or abroad. I mentioned earlier that there was a bit of good luck on the government side that this opposition day motion will give it the opportunity to highlight its recent announcement, but serendipity does not shine exclusively on the government members today. While I do not have the authority to sign off on billions of economic loans or a trade deal yet, we here in the opposition do have other tools at our disposal. To deflect from its failing trade talks, the government often touts the philosophy of controlling what we can at home, so I took that to heart. Far too many representatives of these industry-critical organizations have told me that they feel left out and ignored by the government. They do not know what is going on in D.C. or in Ottawa and resort to rumours and speculation to field some sense of understanding. To be clear, this is coming not only from the mom-and-pop shops in Bancroft but also from national and international industry associations headquartered in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, New York and Washington. This is a sin being committed by administrations on both sides of the border. As a result, next month, in conjunction with my colleagues from la belle nation de Québec, I am joining a series of round tables in numerous Quebec cities and towns that are directly affected by the tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper and softwood lumber. It is my responsibility, and I am humbled to be invited to visit with Québécois workers and industry leaders up and down the St. Lawrence River, from major urban centres to humble regional industrial hubs, to talk to affected workers, en français, of the very real effects the U.S. tariffs have had on Canadian strategic resources. I want to finish with one final comment. Frustrations on both sides of the border are extremely clear, whether it is with our own administration or each other’s. I share many of them, but we must remember that the relationship between Canada and the United States is forged in fire and bounded by blood. It is among, if it is not the, single strongest relationship between any two nations in the world today. To close, I want to selectively re-enter into Hansard something that was spoken in this very place 68 years ago by President Dwight D. Eisenhower when he addressed Parliament: ...change is the law of life and of relations between nations. When two great peoples such as ours, energetic and optimistic, live side by side in all the diversity that freedom offers, change is rapid and brings in its wake problems, sometimes frictions. ...by mutual respect, understanding and with good will we can find acceptable solutions to any problems which exist or may arise between us.... There must never be a final word between friends.”