What's big news across Canada at the moment is that the Neocon Stephen Harper government will proceed with legislation to implement an extremely controversial "sellout" softwood lumber agreement with the US.

Why should this be of interest to Kossacks??

Because the deal, negotiated by Bush and his Canadian lackey, Harper will see $450 million funnelled straight past Congress and  the US treasury, and will go instead, directly to the Bush Whitehouse.

Three days after his sleazy switch to the Conservatives from the Liberals, Canadian International Trade Minister David Emerson complained that his kids were getting picked on at school because of the switch.

That may have been out of line, but if there's anything to this story, this may be the least of Emerson's worries.

David Emerson has rejected a report that he blocked a deal on the softwood lumber crisis until after the election campaign.

A report in Thursday's Toronto Star claimed Emerson, the former Liberal industry minister, had a template for a solution with the U.S. on the conflict, but put it on hold until after the election.

So here are the obvious questions--did Emerson agree to cross the floor (the Canadian term for switching parties) before the election (and not after, based on the evidence on hand at the moment)?  And if so, did he hold up the deal so Harper could take the credit, and not (as he claimed) because of fears it would hurt Liberal chances in British Columbia?

"Let me simply say to anyone who wants to question what I have been saying, beginning with (Conservative Leader) Stephen Harper, that I am the Prime Minister of this country, that our position on climate change will be determined by the government of Canada, that the fact is that we do expect our partners to honour their agreements --and I will defend Canada. Period."

This is Prime Minister Paul Martin's response to US Ambassador David Wilkins' accusation that Canadian pols are using "anti-American rhetoric" to score points in the run-up to the Jan. 23 Election.

More below.

So, my Canadian colleague MikeCan1978 wrote a nice diary about how Condi Rice had to rush off this morning back to Washington, abruptly cancelling some interviews and raising speculation what exactly was going on. What he didnt mention was that before doing this, the aforementioned Ms. Rice got very peeved at some pesky Canadian media questioning her about the US's committment to treaties and signed agreements. I guess she isnt used to such media scrutiny from the Beltway Press Club back in D.C.
You see, Ms Rice feels the softwood lumber dispute is a rather trivial trade dispute compared to other great issues, and when the media took her to task over it, she didnt like it...

You may have read this earlier diary on here about Canada telling Bush to take a hike on softwood lumber negotiations because as far as Canada is concerned, we won at the NAFTA trade tribunal and there's nothing to discuss.

What that diary didnt discuss is this: In wake of the softwood lumber dispute and with many in Canada angered at the US refusal to adhere to a trade treaty, Canada has taken steps to shift energy sales away from the US to the Far East - India is one name mentioned.. but China is the other big one.