The softwood lumber dispute has been ongoing for years now, and
despite a NAFTA ruling in favor of Canada, the United States has no
plans to obey it. The recent ruling that calls for the U.S. to refund
$5-billion in illegally collected duties on lumber has not only been
spurned by Washington, it has prompted a legal challenge to NAFTA’s
authority to resolve trade disputes. Some say the reaction to the
ruling will spawn a trade war as officials in Canada look to
retaliatory measures, while others optimistically say the U.S. will
respect its international treaties. The ruling was hailed as a major
win here in Canada, and as such if it is not followed by the U.S.
there will be major reprecussions on the NAFTA treaty and general
Canada-U.S. relations.

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In an effort to close the gap that exists between Canadian First Nations people and the general public, Canada’s premiers have agreed to a 10 year plan that will attempt to eliminate aboriginal poverty. The ambitious plan will be put into motion this Fall at the first ministers meeting on native issues and will address a range of problems associated with health care, housing, and economic development. One major goal will be to implement a means for natives to enjoy treaty benefits while not living on a reserve, especially with regard to extra federally funded health care benefits. Currently only half of the country’s native population actually lives on reserves, resulting in separate treatment for many.

A strong effort from all parties involved will hopefully begin a movement towards a much sought after increase in standard of life for Canada’s First Nations people, however simply throwing money at the problem will not lead to the desired goal. Over the past decade, Canadian tapayers have spent $3.8 billion on Native housing alone, however once received, band councils decide where the money goes without, in some cases, even accounting for it. Furthermore, a recent report by the auditor general indicates that the bands have no competant way of ensuring that the houses built meet national building code standards. Clearly no bankroll will correct the problem with the First Nations People’s standard of life when it is not accompanied by proper initiative and accountability. Money is not medicine.

One of the best known journalists in Quebec was appointed yesterday to
the post of Governor-General. Michaëlle Jean has been the host of The
Passionate Eye and Rough Cuts for the last five years and has won
numerous prizes for her efforts throughout. Hailing from Haiti, the
poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, her family fled the
dictatorship in 1967 when she was only 11 years old. Michaelle now
speaks five languages and is one of Canada’s most accomplished
journalists. Despite her qualifications, one can only guess at the
political reasons for this appointment – the Liberal minority
government has had a loss of support in Quebec since damage by
scandals and a federal election looms on the horizon of next year.

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