Hon. Percy Mockler: Honourable senators, my question is also for the government leader in the Senate.

Senator Gold, the President of the Forest Products Association of Canada recently told the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade of the industry’s concern with anti-Canadian forestry legislation that is currently being advanced in the state legislatures of California and New York. Mr. Nighbor said that these bills, if passed, are designed to restrict Canadian forest exports to those states through their own procurement channels.

The industry is very concerned. And we saw the Forest Products Association of Canada, Unifor and the United Steelworkers calling out the anti-Canadian forestry legislation in California and New York, knowing that it would devastate our forestry sector and our communities. Mr. Nighbor told the committee that they want to see action and engagement on this file from the senior political level of the Government of Canada itself — the cabinet.

Senator Gold, will the Prime Minister and his cabinet defend our forestry sector against these bills going through legislatures in the United States? We know the impact that would have on the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of Canadians.

Senator Mockler: To the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Gold, let’s take this into consideration: The Forest Products Association is also asking the Department of Global Affairs to carry out a formal, legal review of both bills currently on the floors of the legislatures in Albany and Sacramento to clearly understand this impact. Mr. Nighbor told the House committee that Global Affairs has so far refused to do this work.

Mr. Leader, I understand, however, that the Forest Products Association of Canada’s own independent review of these bills suggests that concern about the potential impacts of these bills go well beyond Canada’s forest sector.

There could be precedent-setting impacts in Canada, such as on Canada’s agriculture, energy, hydroelectric power and mining sectors, as well as their workers.

Leader, this doesn’t appear to be an unreasonable request. Can you tell us why Global Affairs won’t review these bills? Will your government intervene to request that the department conduct these reviews? There is much at stake. This will impact hundreds of thousands of Canadians working in those sectors.