Senator Mockler: We need action, Senator Gold. When we talk about action, I remember very well that in the Senate Chamber in June 2016, I had the opportunity to ask Minister Freeland if the Government of Canada would fight for the Maritime exclusion. Instead, New Brunswick is currently not exempted from softwood lumber tariffs imposed by the U.S.

My question to you is this: If your negotiations with U.S. representatives remain unsuccessful, will you take retaliatory measures? Is your government working with the Biden administration to accelerate the CUSMA procedures to protect our forestry sector, which creates thousands of jobs across Canada and in New Brunswick?