PRESS RELEASE

Harper Snatches "Defeat from the Jaws of Victory" - U.S. Court Rules In Canada's Favour but Canadian Government Ignores The Victory to Proceed With Deal That Punishes Canadian Producers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 22, 2006

Toronto, ON - It has been and is the position of the Progressive Canadian Party that the export taxes applied on Canadian softwood lumber (at a rate of 15% at present lumber prices was the July 1st agreement in force now) is illegal. The July 21, 2006 unanimous decision of three judges of the U.S. Court of International Trade (U.S. CIT) held that the United States cannot defeat the judgment of a NAFTA panel and impose duties on Canadian softwood lumber supports this position.

The Harper Government -for whatever its reasons- has stated its intent to ignore this decision and proceed with an agreement that continues Canadian producers being penalized and, adding insult to injury, agrees to give $500 million of the illegally collected $5 billion to those who launched the spurious suits -- the so-called "Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports".

The Conservative Party of Canada was prepared to destroy the protection for Canadian exporters under the North American Free Trade Agreement by circumventing panel findings. Now, it proposes to do so even when the U.S. courts have ruled in our favour.

"These questions must be asked and answered", stated Jim Love, PC Party President "Whose side is this government on? What does 'Steve' owe to 'George' that keeps this Conservative government continuing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? What other than this has led Harper to alter his view of less than a year ago that "If the Canada-U.S trade relationship is to remain a fair, stable, rules-based system, then the United States has a moral obligation to return those duties to Canadian softwood lumber companies." ?

Party Leader Tracy Parsons concluded "It is our profound hope the Parliamentary majority will care enough for the future of Canadian-American trade relationships to ask the questions in the House of Commons and, when there are no satisfactory answers forthcoming, defeat the enabling legislation for the agreement initialled July 1st "
Canadians do not wish another election. But the precedent of the Government of Canada bending to the will of American lobby groups' influence on their government despite NAFTA panel and American Court decisions is just too important to our future to be established without the expressed opinion of the Canadian electorate.

The Prime Minister is threatening an election on this as the issue. The Progressive Canadian Party looks forward to defending the integrity of the terms of the NAFTA the Progressive Conservative Government negotiated against the Conservative Party of Canada's destruction of its Chapter 19's rule-based dispute settlement mechanism.

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.

-30-

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

QUOTE CITED DRAWN FROM:
Address by the Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P. HALIFAX Wednesday September 7, 2005

Ontario Politics: Bill 52

Let me just say that I have thought that the mandatory age of school attendance should be raised from age 16 to 18 for quite sometime (despite the fact that I left school at the age of 17), but I think that this bill goes too far.

For one, compliance with the education act becomes a requirement for an individual under the age of 18 to obtain his/her driver's license. I suppose that the Liberal logic is that "it's for their own good", but restricting privileges when a person is not attending school should be the role of the parent, not the government. If the individual has withdrawn from parental control, there are still sufficient measures (fines, etc.) that can be taken to persuade this individual that he/she would be better off to comply with the education act. Also, in rural areas, having a driver's license is nearly a necessity. A trip to the grocery store could be 20 km for some, and in rural areas we do not have public transit. I suppose that a primarily urban based party such as the Ontario Liberal Party would not understand this.

Also, many home-schooled students may not be eligible for a driver's license under this act. A home-schooled student is required to get the signature of a representative from a school board on a document that states that he/she is being educated properly at home in order to be eligible for a driver's license. Certain representatives may not be willing to sign this document because of their feelings surrounding home-schooling.

I agree with the thought that the mandatory age of school attendance should be raised to 18, but making compliance a requirement for a person's driver's license is simply going too far.

Where's our fifth priority?

The Conservative Party has developed a new slogan, "Promises made, promises kept" but it seems that Harper has missed a priority along the way. During the 2006 election, Harper laid out five priorities for the Conservative Government:

1. Clean up government by passing the Federal Accountability Act;
2. Provide real tax relief to working families by cutting the GST;
3. Make our streets and communities safer by cracking down on crime;
4. Help parents with the cost of raising their children; and
5. Work with the provinces to establish a Patient Wait Times Guarantee

I guess he's done well, if you agree with his policy, taking action on 4 out of 5 priorities, but I can't help but wonder what has happened to this fifth priority.

Apparently this fifth priority does not require further transfers to the provinces, according to Prime Minister Harper and Health Minister, Tony Clement.

Ontario Health Minister, George Smitherman, commented that Clement has told him that there will be no additonal funds given to the provinces to help shorten wait times.

Could Prime Minister Harper be secretly working on an agenda for a two-tier healthcare system? As Liberal hopeful Bob Rae said on the issue: "Their real agenda is to drive the provinces to establishing two tiers. That's what the real agenda is, it's to tell the provinces and the public that if you want speedy treatment, go to the private sector."

I'm Not a fan of Bob Rae, but I think he's got it right on this one...

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 55% Conservative, 45% Liberal

Social Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Not Sure what to think, but seems about right.

Kennedy... A front-runner?

Kennedy appears to lead Liberal race

I must admit that I really didn't think Gerard Kennedy would stand a chance against the other high-profile front-runners, Ignatieff and Rae , but it seems that he has been doing well.

I really like what I've heard so far from Mr. Kennedy. Ignatieff seems to be quite right-wing in his thinking, and I hope that the members of the Liberal party truly understand some of the things he has been proposing and understand where his beliefs truly lie. Stop Iggy proves that there are some Liberal members that know what Iggy is about.

As for Bob Rae; did anyone follow what went on in Ontario in the early 90s? Perhaps as leader of the Liberal party, there could be Rae Days for all.

PRESS RELEASE Too high a price for mending fences.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 6, 2006

Toronto, ON - Stephen Harper mental lapse in having forgotten that his position last September on findings of NAFTA dispute panels on soft wood was that "achieving full compliance should be the objective of the Prime Minister." was compounded by his distortion of reality Wednesday night in Washington when he said of the softwood agreement initialled in Geneva July 1st "The legal text represents the original agreement." and that "We expect that to have the same support for it that we had for the original agreement."

As Trade Minister Emerson said "The demands keep coming, the goalposts keep shifting", the last being the demand by the Americans for inclusion of an escape clause reducing the length of the agreement from 7-9 years to 23 months. Not part of the original agreement, despite Harper's words, it is contributing to stronger opposition than existed against the original agreement.

With all three opposition parties raising questions about the agreement as it stands, with plans to reconstitute a parliamentary trade committee, the belief express by the London Free Press "A deal that jeopardizes our softwood industry is a high price to pay for mending fences with the lame-duck Bush administration. Canada must not sacrifice hard-won principles of NAFTA just to be able to say it has restored good relations with the United States." will become ever more widespread .

Harper saying "The softwood lumber deal is going ahead," may well will turn out to have been bravado for the benefit of President Bush. Should this position be maintained that "the deal initialed on Saturday by Canadian Trade Minister David Emerson and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab is final and cannot be revised." and enabling legislation introduced in September, Harper's intransigence may well lead to an election, indeed ought to.

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 www.progressivecanadian.org or call 866-812-6972.

-30-

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

PRESS RELEASE: National interests betrayed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 3, 2006
Toronto, ON - Less than a year ago what ought to have been Stephen Harper's position regarding the softwood lumber dispute were enunciated by him in Halifax:

"Under a Conservative government, we will stand up when our national interests are at stake.

We will stand up for Canada

THE CALL TO THE PRESIDENT
It is at least now established that the Prime Minister and President will speak about the softwood issue in the hopefully-not-too-distant future. If I were Prime Minister at that time, what would a Conservative Prime Minister say in that conversation?

First and foremost, I would seek a clear commitment of the United States to comply with the NAFTA ruling. If the Canada-U.S. trade relationship is to remain a fair, stable, rules-based system, then the United States has a moral obligation to return those duties to Canadian lumber companies.

There can be no question of Canada returning to a conventional bargaining table, as the U.S. Ambassador has suggested.

You don't negotiate after you've won.

The issue is compliance.

And achieving full compliance should be the objective of the Prime Minister.

The Geneva Agreement initialled on Canada Day was arrived at through "returning to a conventional bargaining table". By it national interests are in the process of being betrayed. The result was not compliance with the dispute mechanisms of the North American Free Trade Agreement. It is an agreement which if implemented will sets this precedent for other disputes that will arise under the North American Free Trade Agreement, that the Canadian Government will cut and run rather than stand firm.

Law suits are still in process that may yet place the United States with little choice but to accept, as the then Leader of the Opposition phrased it, "a fair, stable, rules-based system" of settling trade disputes.

What must be carefully watched for are any indications the Government of Canada is pressuring private companies to act against their interests as they see them.

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.

-30-

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

SOURCE OF QUOTE:Address by the Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P. Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Leader of the Official Opposition

PRESS RELEASE: It's not the system that has failed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 4, 2006
Toronto, ON – "What must be carefully watched for are any indications the Government of Canada is pressuring private companies to act against their interests as they see them.", prophetic words.

Pressure has been put on lumber industry firms to withdraw court cases through this threat "Canadian firms that do not agree to drop their lawsuits would not receive a duty refund, and critics of the deal have accused the federal Conservative Government of using that to force the deal through quickly."

Clearly the strong arm method did not work as had the threat made in March " that the industry would either accept whatever deal the Government would negotiate or be abandoned."

The statement " No one in Canada will prosper from this deal and, through this deal, government will control export permits and quota allocations which makes it awfully difficult for companies to stand up and say 'no.' " is most unsettling.

For whatever reasons the Harper Government has chosen not to follow through on the continued rejection of the validity of U.S. lobbyists' claims. The Canadian softwood lumber industry "has relied on the dispute system of the North American Free Trade Agreement and was within months or even weeks of final, conclusive, legally binding resolution vindicating the Canadian industry, yet under terms signed this weekend the new deal proclaims that the system has failed."

"Saying "that the system has failed." is inaccurate," stated Jim Love President of the Progressive Canadian Party, " It's the Harper Government following its own agenda that has failed the industry and Canada. A Government that must come to realize it's slogan "Stand Up For Canada " is not enough. The words must be translated into action - in this instance following through with the dispute system of the North American Free Trade Agreement rather than persisting in pressing forward an agreement opposed by the lumber industry and the provinces."

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 www.progressivecanadian.org or call 866-812-6972.

-30-

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

GST CUT Savings

You wouldn't believe the tax savings I was able to enjoy yesterday, thanks to the Conservative GST cut. I bought a can of coke, a chocolate bar and a large bag of chips,, and saved $0.05. I spent 10.00 in various items to celebrate Canada day and saved $0.10. My fiancee spent $100.00 on various GST-taxable items and saved $1.00!

Between me and my fiancee, we spent a total of $115.00 on an assortment of items, and saved a grand total of $1.15. Truly amazing. But wait, if the GST were dropped to 5% (as will be the case in the future if we re-elect the CPC), we would have saved $2.30. Even better.

But wait... for all Canadians, today also marked a drop in the Basic Personal Amount Exemption:

Basic Personal Amounts
The basic personal amount-the amount that an individual can earn without paying federal personal income tax-will be increased by $500 to $8,648 for the 2005 taxation year. For the first half of 2006 it will then be increased by indexation plus a further $200, for a total of $9,039. The basic personal amount will be reduced by $400 to $8,639 on July 1, 2006 at the same time as the GST rate is reduced.

As well as this:
The lowest personal income tax rate will be reduced to 15 per cent from 16 per cent effective January 1, 2005. The rate will then be raised to 15.5 per cent effective July 1, 2006.

Between me and my fiancee, we saved $1.15 today by spending $115.00. Unfortunately for us, when we file our income taxes next year, it looks like any savings we accumulate over the year will be recollected, and then some.

Let's all celebrate the GST Cut, and while we're at it, we can also celebrate the raise in Income Taxes for the lowest income Canadians!

Hope everyone has a great Canada day

Need I say more...