Evidence of meeting #38 for International Trade in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was japanese.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
We had the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association tell us that one of the challenges their members have is the issue of Japan Post, as it relates to insurance. It challenges both their domestic market and anyone looking to come in.
Do you have any sense from your perspective that Japan would be amenable to this kind of negotiation?
12:50 p.m.
Centre for Japanese Research, Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia, As an Individual
That gets into the details of specific areas. I focus on the symbolic importance of some of these issues, and you will know that Japan Post is a very visible part of the Japanese economy. Many people have their savings with them. You recall that under Prime Minister Koizumi postal savings became a big political issue. That's not to be underestimated, though the focus is not on the insurance part of that business but on the savings business. I'm sure it would come up in those contexts. It's a little hard to see how that would play out. What is prominent in the public mind is agriculture as a defensive interest, and then there are automobiles as a potential export from Japan.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Thank you very much, Mr. Dierkes, and Mr. White.
With that we want to suspend for a minute as we clear the room and move in camera.
Thank you very much again.
[Proceedings continue in camera]