Dominic LeBlanc
Dominic LeBlanc is opening the door to increased supports for the country’s softwood lumber sector. The New Brunswick MP and federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade made the comments while in British Columbia on Monday at a forestry summit amid climbing U.S. tariffs for the industry. Standing together in Vancouver, LeBlanc and B.C. Premier David Eby announced the creation of the Transformation Task Force to identify further help beyond existing programs, with a deadline of just weeks. It’s a task force that is specific to B.C. and won’t include New Brunswick. But an official in LeBlanc’s office told Brunswick News there’s a commitment to work with every jurisdiction, including New Brunswick, to quickly ensure the right supports are in place. But Premier Susan Holt has said that doesn’t go far enough, hoping for direct subsidies for the industry.
- Related in CBC News: New Brunswick minister backs cap on softwood to secure tariff deal — Minister John Herron says the province’s historic exemption from US lumber duties may be gone forever, and it’s time for a single, unified national lobbying focus to secure a new deal with the US.