Monday, July 10, 2006

Lies, damned lies and Blogging Tory headlines.


Apparently, we progressives are a thoroughly ungrateful lot (all emphasis added):

When is 90% Not Good Enough?

When it's support for a Conservative Government. According to David Emerson, the Canadian government was able to reach 90% support for it's recent agreement to resolve the softwood-lumber dispute.

Wow, I had no idea that 90% of Canadians were solidly behind the recent softwood lumber resolution and ... and ... um, hold on ... what's this?

Emerson noted that he and his staff have met with many interested parties throughout the negotiations and have "captured 90 per cent of the issues we need to confront." However, he acknowledged the deal requires more than 90 per cent support form the industry to go through, and said companies will have to make the decision that is best for them.

Ah. So that figure of "90%" doesn't actually represent the level of public support for the deal after all. Rather, it represents some arbitrary percentage of the issues that Industry Minister David Emerson claims to have achieved, without actually explaining them.

No matter. After all, Canada paid $5 billion in penalties on softwood lumber and is set to get $4 billion of that back, so at least that corresponds to ... let's see ... subtract four, carry the one and ... wait a minute ...

WHOOPS, THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD
. Uh oh ... apparently, "90%" means whatever you want it to mean (emphasis added):

Trade Minister David Emerson, faced with mounting criticism of the new softwood lumber deal with the United States, says if the agreement falls apart it won't be his fault - and he wouldn't resign over it.

In an interview on Sunday, Emerson acknowledged he's been surprised by the strength of opposition to the deal...

The treaty has been slammed by the forestry industry in British Columbia and Quebec, as well as by B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.

I'm guessing this is a fast-breaking development and that Mr. MacPhail will have an update any minute now. Yessir ... any minute now ...

3 comments:

Somena Woman said...

Mr.Emerson should come spend some time here in IWA land, and listen to what people whose lives have nearly been destroyed by the Softwood dispute have to say about the "deal" he claims 90% support for.

He would not get a lovely reception. I assure you.

Anonymous said...

I think that in fact the deal is predicated on getting 95% support from industry, and when Emerson says he needs more than 90% support he's just referring to that 95% target.

Those 'lefty lunatics' in the forestry industry, they'll mess up the Cons whenever they get the chance. Or else it was the 'lefty lunatics' in the Conservative government who set the target...

Emerson does also claim to have resolved "90%" of the issues - I might point out that total capitulation would have resolved 100% of the issues. Clearly he's not trying hard enough.

Anonymous said...

Ghee whiz, back when he was brokering the deal for the Liberals and the Cons were giving him flack, wasn't he saying the same damn thing?
Emerson was so crucial to the deal that the new ever-so-accountable Harper and minions HAD to have him at all costs to get a better deal.
Here you have it.
Now what?
Is he in or is he out? Only Canfor knows for sure.