PRESS RELEASE

Standing down: Actions betraying slogans.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2006Toronto, ON – Mr. Harper came to office under the slogan “Stand up for Canada” but he drops final determination that the United States has abrogated a signed treaty (NAFTA) in return for an agreement that returns only part of the money taken illegally from our lumber industry. This alone is enough to say that this new Conservative government has lost the "moral authority to govern", to use Harper’s words.

"Open Federalism", another Harper feel good phrase, in the softwood lumber agreement is accepting that alterations in provincial forest policy changes be subject to U.S. government approval and requesting the provinces agree to this and all other terms within 24 hours.

This new Conservative minority has mastered “spin” – and the defenders will try to persuade Canadians there is no loss of sovereignty. Or they’ll go on the attack. But the reality is – so far, there is only one party that has come out strongly on this issue and it’s the Progressive Canadian party. We were critical of the Liberal approach and we abhor the neo-Conservative approach.

The P.C. Party is absolutely against giving up our sovereignty and has the expectation our trading partners keep their agreements. Doing anything else merely telegraphs that we can be bullied whenever it is convenient.

As one agreement being broken another “agreement” is negotiated. No wonder they want it done quickly. The government is practicing “sleight of hand”. It doesn’t want people thinking this through carefully, debating the implications or even reading this agreement and finding out how we have given away our sovereignty so that the Harper government can redeem Mr. Emerson. There is no cost to the U.S. It doesn’t have to live up to the North American Free Trade Agreement, why would one more agreement matter? The only possible rationale is that this new agreement is so lopsided in favour of the U.S. interests that they’d be fools not to follow it.

There are no doubt MPs on the government side who know this is wrong but refuse to speak up. They have seen what Mr. Harper does to anyone who disagrees with him. There are also those who know this is wrong but would make a deal with the devil because they are so close to power that they can taste it. Either way, Canada’s interests go undefended.

Speaking in defence of the Agreement, Mr. Emerson speaks of the U.S. making "concessions" where none exist. He says "At the end of the day the government has to represent the public interest and of Canada as a whole," which for him is avoiding the situation that " if Canada continues to rely on NAFTA, the Americans are likely to expand their attacks on the Canadian forest industry to include other products."

Canadians ought to be informed of what is happening. Mr. Harper is once again denying his words, “Canadians don’t turn and run” by his actions. We are to accept tucking our collective tails between our legs and begging the U.S. to give us back part of the money they took from us illegally. And we’ll go cap in hand with any forest management program we have to have the U.S. tell us what Canadian provinces can and can not do. If that’s not turning and running, what is?"

As every child learns in the school yard, you don’t deal with a bully by running, hiding or begging. You stand up to them. Quietly and with dignity you say --- no, I’m not going to take this. And you stand your ground. That’s what people with character do.", stated Tracy Parsons, Progressive Canadian Party Leader.

Stand up for Canada? It requires a back-bone to stand up. There is none evident in the Bush-Harper agreement. There is courage in following through with the challenge the U.S. has made to the March 17 NAFTA panel findings which went in favour of Canada. Anything else is like failing to show up for the last game of the Stanley Cup finals.

The Progressive Canadian (PC) Party is a registered Federal Political Party comprised of progressive-conservative minded Canadians rebuilding from the roots of the former Progressive Conservative Party. For more information on the PC Party, it’s policies, structure or general information, go to http://www.progressivecanadian.org/ or call 866-812-6972.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Tracy Parsons, Leader
Progressive Canadian Party
Tel 866-812-6972
tracy.parsons@pcparty.org

Jim Love, President
Progressive Canadian Party
Tel (647) 403-5519
jim.love@pcparty.org

QUOTES AND INFORMATION CITED DRAWN FROM:
Emerson defends softwood deal http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/05/12/1577382-cp.html

Ottawa's softwood deadline called 'railroad'TREATIES I The Tories are fast-tracking the agreement processhttp://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=0c6be61b-4616-45cf-b6e5-1a6742e6f51d

Forest policies must now be vetted by U.S., Emerson saysSOFTWOOD DEAL I B.C.'s timber pricing system awaits Washington approvalhttp://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=d2238df1-293b-44c4-aca4-e223df2f6cd4