Canada remains firm in softwood dispute

WINNIPEG – Canada remained defiant Friday in its tough stand against Washington over the softwood lumber dispute as federal ministers dismissed a call from the U.S. ambassador to stop their “emotional tirades.”

Industry Minister David Emerson said David Wilkins’ comments, made in an interview with the Ottawa Citizen’s editorial board and published Friday, are hypocritical because they suggest Canada hasn’t been serious about negotiating.

The minister said Canadians may need to start gearing up for a trade war with the United States.

“Candidly, Canadians have to decide as a small trading economy, are we going to stand together?” Emerson said at the start of a federal cabinet meeting in Winnipeg.

“Are we going to be stronger than the sum of our parts or are we going to be endlessly bickering among ourselves and allowing the bully to basically mop the floor with us?”

Wilkins called on Canada to resume negotiations rather than trade litigation to settle the softwood dispute, which has escalated following Washington’s announcement that it would ignore a NAFTA ruling in Canada’s favor.

“Emotional press conferences are not going to settle the issue,” Wilkins told the Citizen editors. “Canada needs to come back to the table. We need to close the door, roll up our sleeves and negotiate as need be, with good faith, and bring finality to it.”

Trade Minister Jim Peterson called Wilkins earlier this week to drive home the point that Canada’s threats, which have become punchier in recent days, are real and not media-driven speculation.