Evidence of meeting #84 for International Trade in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was ukraine.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
This member is highly dishonest in everything he's saying.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
To this motion, it reads:
Whereas Canada is not imposing a price on pollution on Ukraine;
That is very clear. In the agreement that you just sent back to the House, it specifically states that's the case.
It says:
Whereas Ukraine already has a carbon pricing system;
Again, that's totally true. You can debate how much it is and where it is, as the Conservatives want to do, but it doesn't change the fact that it is a true statement.
Then it says:
Whereas Ukraine is a sovereign nation and, via President Zelenskyy, has signed the modernized Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement;
Again, this is another very true statement. Nobody can argue that this is not true, despite the fact that you might think you know better than President Zelenskyy what he needs for his country.
It finally says:
Therefore, the Standing Committee on International Trade supports Bill C-57, the 2023 Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.
It's very simple. If you want to vote against it, vote against it, but it's as cut and dried as that.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I would like to read briefly, for the interest of the committee, an article from July 12, 2022.
The headline is “'Manifestation of weakness': Zelenskyy condemns Canada for return of Russia-Germany pipeline turbines”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is personally condemning Canada over its decision to grant a Canadian company a “time-limited and revocable permit,” allowing them to return turbines from a Russian pipeline that supplies natural gas to Germany.
Zelenskyy said that Canada's decision is about more than wrongly deciding to hand over the turbines, but that it was an “absolutely unacceptable exception to the sanctions regime against Russia.”
“If a terrorist state can squeeze out such an exception to sanctions, what exceptions will it want tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? This question is very dangerous,” Zelenskyy said in a video and accompanying statement on Monday, that also stated the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs “had to summon Canada's representative to our country.”
“The decision on the exception to sanctions will be perceived in Moscow exclusively as a manifestation of weakness. This is their logic. And now, there can be no doubt that Russia will try not just to limit as much as possible, but to completely shut down the supply of gas to Europe at the most acute moment,” he continued.
The turbines, part of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, had been sent to Siemens Canada in Montreal for repairs, but once the federal government imposed sanctions on Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom, the company was restricted from sending the equipment back.
Canada faced pressure from both Russia and Germany to return the turbines, fearing the risk of further energy instability. Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson's weekend announcement of the permit....
The story goes on with further details.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Chair, I will come to a close at the time of my choosing as per the rules of the committee.
Where was the member for Kingston and the Islands? Where was Mark Gerretsen when the Canadian representative in Ukraine was summoned by President Zelenskyy? Did Mr. Gerretsen take to Twitter? Did he stand up in the House of Commons to tell his government to listen to President Zelenskyy? No. He was silent.
Where were the other members of this committee? Where was Yvan Baker? Not a single member of the Liberal caucus criticized the Prime Minister's decision to supply a turbine that was designed to facilitate the export of Russian gas to Europe and was a sanctions exemption. This was condemned roundly and personally by President Zelenskyy. He described it correctly as a manifestation of weakness. He summoned the Canadian representative to Ukraine. We had the ambassador to Ukraine before the foreign affairs committee denouncing that decision as it related to the turbine.
This isn't the first or the last time this government has ignored the needs of Ukraine—not what I say Ukraine needed, but what Ukrainians said they needed. It wasn't the first time and it would not be the last.
On March 29, earlier that year and very shortly after the invasion, Conservatives put forward a motion in the House to allow visa-free travel for Ukrainians fleeing the war. This motion, by the way, was supported by all of the opposition parties—Conservative, Bloc and NDP. That meant it passed. The House of Commons passed a motion calling on the government to allow visa-free travel for Ukrainians. The Liberals not only voted against it, but they failed to implement it, even after the expressed will of the majority of the House of Commons was decisively stated on that.
Mr. Gerretsen is here. How did Mr. Gerretsen vote? He voted no. A month after the invasion, he voted against our motion for visa-free travel for Ukraine. All of the Liberal members either voted against or didn't bother to show up for that vote. We had the refusal of that support from this government and a refusal to implement the will of Canada's elected House of Commons.
In the summer, the government was denounced and condemned by the President of Ukraine for breaking western sanctions unity, and there were no statements whatsoever from members of the government, backbench or otherwise. It's no surprise, because while members of this government across the way are interested in trying to use something for political points, they have consistently voted against our proposals that would have made a concrete difference to help Ukraine.
Just last week at this committee, the Conservatives put forward a motion that would have expanded the scope of Bill C-57, which would have allowed us to move forward with constructive amendments that would remove red tape and ease the process of weapons sales to Ukraine. Liberals opposed that motion. Liberals and New Democrats, unfortunately, together blocked our efforts to expand the scope of the bill. That would have made a real, concrete difference to the people in Ukraine.
The member across the way says to look at who's talking about Ukraine in the House. Okay, let's look at who's talking about Ukraine in the House. I did a search here on who's talking about Ukraine. Since getting elected, I have talked about Ukraine 240 times in the House of Commons, which is well over three times as much as the member for Kingston and the Islands talks about Ukraine. I suspect that most of that talk has just been in the last week or so when he's decided he wants to wear the hat of being the one doing the attacks. I don't think the government has much to offer, which is why they've gone into full-on mindless attack mode. I don't think Canadians are going to be fooled by that.
Going back further, Ukraine was invaded in 2014, and Stephen Harper led the world in mobilizing a response. At that time, the role that Canada was playing in response to the illegal invasion of Crimea was widely recognized.
When the Liberals took power, they were bent on warming up relations with Russia, while Ukraine was already partially occupied by Russia. We had then minister Stéphane Dion eagerly pursuing the warming up of relations. In fact, one of the first things this government did was that they cancelled the sharing of RADARSAT satellite images. Under the Conservatives, we had RADARSAT satellites that were sharing images that were of strategic use to Ukraine. The Liberals, upon taking office, cancelled that program of assistance.
Prior to the further invasion at the beginning of last year, we were consistently calling for tougher sanctions. We've also called for increased investments in our military. Liberals, from the beginning of being in government, were talking about having a leaner military in their first budget. Liberals have consistently failed to support Ukraine. They've consistently opposed the vital investments in our military and in NATO co-operation that would ensure our security and the security of our allies. They voted against visa-free travel for Ukraine. They earned the condemnation of the Government of Ukraine by granting the Siemens turbine sanctions permit exemption, and they opposed our efforts to allow weapon exports.
As I said before, I think reasonable people can disagree on the particulars of a trade agreement. Our view is that the explicit references to carbon pricing and carbon leakage are enough of a problem that we cannot support the deal as it is. I think reasonable people can disagree about that.
What is clear is that on much more fundamental issues, on which the Ukrainian government has repeatedly and explicitly spoken, these Liberals have been totally indifferent. Their use of this issue for political purposes demonstrates their fundamental insincerity when it comes to Ukraine and issues of international peace and security in general.
With that in mind, Madam Chair, I will likely have a couple of amendments to propose to this motion. I will start with the following amendment, to add to the beginning of the text of the motion “Whereas on March 29, 2022, Liberals opposed a Conservative motion to allow Ukrainians visa-free travel to Canada”.
I'll leave it there.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Can we just get a copy of that? Is it in writing?
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Chair, the rules permit me to move an amendment verbally. I do not have it in writing in both official languages, because I became aware of this motion when it was moved about 15 minutes ago.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
The former minister as well as the parliamentary secretary should be aware of the rules. The amendment has been duly moved.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
—in both official languages. I just asked for the motion so I could read and understand it before I vote on it.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
