International Trade Committee on Oct. 6th, 2011
Evidence of meeting #5 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 trade.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Steve Verheul Chief Trade Negotiator, Canada-European Union, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
- Clerk of the Committee Mr. Paul Cardegna
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Malpeque, PE
--but they can go to the negotiator, and if we're going to.... What's that old saying, fiddling around while Rome burned? Well, I believe the Government of Canada is missing and killing Canadian jobs by not paying attention to what's going on in the United States. That's our most important market.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Rob Merrifield
You mentioned that before, but the minister is here on the EU and the time is tight. Do you have a question on the EU or not?
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Malpeque, PE
--and I think you're wrong. It never happened before that a chair prevented a minister from answering questions, but we'll get to that at another stage.
Let me turn back to the CETA.
You've said, and the government has said several times, that supply management is not on the table. Then let me ask you this question, and we know common agriculture policy's not on the table: are tariffs relative to dairy products, eggs and egg products, and poultry part of the discussions with the Europeans?
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Easter, as I mentioned in my speech, as the Prime Minister has articulated many times, as the throne speech--
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Easter, let me respond. We've made it very clear that we will defend Canada's system of supply management.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Abbotsford, BC
It is an unambiguous position. I know you would prefer that it be ambiguous so you can turn it into a story--
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Abbotsford, BC
--but we have taken a very strong position on supply management. Not only that, we have consulted broadly with the supply managed sector--
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Malpeque, PE
That's fine. Mr. Minister, supply management is made up of three pillars. One of them is tariffs. I'm asking you the question directly, are tariffs relative to egg and egg products, poultry, and dairy products part or not part of the discussions?