Bill C-429

March 10, 2010

Mr. Richard Harris (Cariboo—Prince George, CPC): Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to speak to Bill C-429, an act to amend the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act.
   
This bill is all about the promotion of wood, and I come from an area that is the country's main source of softwood lumber. In my riding we produce more softwood lumber than any other riding in the country, and so it is a pleasure to see the steps that the government has already taken to promote the use of wood across Canada and worldwide.
   
Let me begin by thanking the hon. member for Manicouagan for the sentiments behind his private member's bill. Coming from a forest-dependent area myself, I can appreciate his sentiments. While he may not recognize what the government is already doing, I am sure the bottom line is that he wants to see more wood in use in building and construction, but the government is already there. We are already spending tens of millions and hundreds of millions of dollars across the country in helping our forest industry and to promote the use of wood. Right across this country, Canada's forest sector is undergoing a reconstruction, a transformation, in order that they can address the competitive and cyclical challenges that face us.
   
All of us in this House would agree that the federal government has an important role to play in assisting this important industry, and so today, for the benefit of members in the House, I would like to mention some of the initiatives that the government has already taken to promote the use of wood, not only in Canada but around the world.
   
Before doing so, let me just make one mention of the fact that there are some statutory restraints in the form of building codes and standards that would prevent the implementation of Bill C-429. As attractive and well-meaning as it may be, there are some challenges to it. The record shows that right from the beginning, when these forestry challenges came upon us, the government has been taking quick and decisive action to assist Canada's forest industry.
   
Canada's economic action plan, for example, has taken some unprecedented steps to support forestry workers in communities while helping to secure a sustainable forest sector for the future. As a matter of fact, I do not think that in the history of any Parliament, any government in the history of Canada has done so much to help the forest industry as this Conservative government has done under the leadership of our Prime Minister.
   
For example, $1 billion under the economic action plan is provided under the community adjustment fund to mitigate the short-term effects of restructuring and the challenges we have, and this assists the communities in the forest sector. Also, $170 million over two years is being provided to specifically help our forest industry develop new products, new technology, new and more efficient ways to process the construction wood so that we can stay ahead of our competitors in other countries.
   
Of that $170 million, $50 million is being devoted to expanding domestic and foreign markets, as I mentioned earlier. As a matter of fact, in 2009, I believe that our softwood exports to China increased by over 50%, and it is predicted that this year, that number will double again on our exports to China. It is a huge assistance to our forest industry and it is giving us a lot of help to stay out of the trap of putting all our eggs in one basket that we have been in with our lumber exports to the U.S. Now we have something to mitigate when the U.S. market is not favourable to us.
   
There is a proposal to permanently eliminate tariffs on a range of machinery and equipment, and it is in this budget to save the forest industry $440 million over the next five years.