Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to put this brief question to you, Mr. Falconer.
If I heard correctly, yours is the largest union representing forestry workers. When you were giving your presentation, you were quite categorical in your view on this agreement. We've heard from many witnesses over these past few weeks and, much as there is today, there has been a variance of opinion on the softwood lumber deal.
Under the trade action, I think there certainly is consensus that the lumber industry has suffered. It's suffered terribly from many perspectives, certainly from the cost of litigation and from the cost of paying duties. The outcome has been that some companies have had to close their doors. There has been a loss of work under the current situation.
My concern is that you were very categorical in condemning this agreement, and yet I think there are positive aspects to it. For example, there's stability for the market and stability for business in particular. On the business side, you know that if you're trying to slay too many dragons at the same time you have to decide where to focus your efforts and how to balance one against the other. I see that this deal offers stability to businesses and, in doing so, offers stability to the workers. When you have a company that's stabilizing, or when you have an industry that's stabilizing, I think people have confidence now in their company and they have confidence in the longevity of their term of work. As well, this $4 billion in duties coming back to the lumber industry, as we heard today, will help pay the debt that has to be paid and will also have a stabilizing effect on companies.
To come to my question now, there's no doubt that there's probably an information network that exists amongst the lumber industry and amongst workers. I'm sure they're hearing the variation in opinion that we hear here, including that there are good things that this deal offers. There are concerns too. I'm wondering how you communicate what I see to be positives to your workers. I'm wondering if you could comment on what I've just said, which is that there are positives to this. And I'm wondering how you communicate that to the actual workers in this industry.