RNNR Committee Report

Forest Pests – Supplementary Report

RNNR

(January 11, 2019)

Canada’s Conservatives continue to be concerned by the challenges facing the Canadian Forestry sector, including this Liberal government’s failure to negotiate a softwood lumber deal, as well as Liberal initiatives such as the federally imposed carbon tax, massive new red tape for rural development in bills C-68 and C-69, and the proposed Liberal fuel standards – all of which increase the cost of doing business in Canada and already have resulted in job-losses, mill shutdowns, and forestry companies pulling money out of Canada to invest in the United States.

In 2006, the previous Conservative government successfully negotiated the Canada-United States Softwood Lumber Agreement, restoring access to the United States market and resulting in the return of over $5 billion in duty deposits to Canadian producers. The previous Conservative government also supported the forestry sector through initiatives like the Forest Industry Long-Term Competitiveness Initiative, the Forest Communities Program, and the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation Program. Between 2006 and 2008 this included $400 million to combat the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation through the federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program, and $2.3 million to boost spread-control funding for the Mountain Pine Beetle and invested in projects at the University of Northern British Columbia.

The proactive approach to forest pests taken by the previous government also included $18 million in 2014 for early intervention to prevent the spread of spruce budworm in Atlantic Canada and Quebec.

Conservatives on the committee were relieved the government agreed with the Conservative position that immediate action is required to deal with the threat of the Mountain Pine Beetle.

There was concern, after comments from the Member of Parliament for St. John’s East, that the Liberal party did not support any action to combat the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation. The Liberal Member of Parliament for St. John’s East suggested that “nature will take its course” and as a member of the government, he questioned “why are we doing anything?” “Why are we trying to manage a crisis that’s not manageable?” He also said, “I'm trying to understand why we should not just in some sense leave well enough alone?”

Canada’s Conservatives agree with the response to these alarming remarks given by Bradley Young, the Executive Director of the National Aboriginal Forestry Association, on October 16th, 2018, where he said that “…to tell the community that’s sitting in the middle of what’s basically match sticks ready to go up, that we shouldn’t do anything,” would be a “recipe for human loss of life and devastation.”

Canadian forestry workers are paying for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mistakes with their jobs. Rural communities that depend on the forestry industry can count on Andrew Scheer to help their communities get ahead by cancelling Liberal red tape, and making rural life more affordable!