KAMLOOPS, B.C. - Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says he doesn't like Canada's softwood lumber deal with the United States but he's not sure re-opening the agreement would do any good.
Ignatieff told a town hall meeting in Kamloops on Thursday that reopening the two-year-old deal might only create a lot of work for lawyers with no guarantee for helping the forest sector out of its economic slump.
"I'm being very straight with you; I know this is not a good deal," he said.
"But if you're asking me are you prepared to reopen it, I haven't come to a final decision because all I see is a lot of litigation that doesn't actually reopen a single mill anywhere."
The agreement ended five years of punitive U.S. import duties and returned billions of dollars in duties to Canada in exchange for export quotas and export tax when lumber prices are low.
Ignatieff also said he supports the Conservative government's plan to eliminate two-for-one jail time credit for suspects awaiting trial because "we think we need to send a very clear message to criminal to criminal wrongdoers we draw the line.
"This is not a partisan political matter."
The Liberal leader said he also opposes increasing the GST, saying that might snuff out efforts to restore the economy.
On the environment, the Ignatieff said his party is moving away from the carbon tax that got such a negative reception in last fall's national election.
"We took the carbon tax to the public and the public didn't think it was such a good idea," he said.
"I'm trying to get myself elected here and if the public, after mature consideration think that's the dumbest thing they've ever heard then I've got to listen."
