House of Commons Hansard #133 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agreements.

Topics

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, the more we question the minister about what is happening in Cacouna, the more she convinces us that she does not know what is happening in her own department.

She misjudged the noise impact of the exploratory work in Cacouna, and now we have also learned that the proponent conducted penetration testing, which no one had heard of before.

How can the minister explain the fact that nothing was known about this testing or the noise impact of the work carried out off the coast of Cacouna?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Egmont P.E.I.

Conservative

Gail Shea ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts. TransCanada's work was reviewed by DFO. We relied on the best available science. We imposed strict conditions for the work to go ahead. We made all this information public.

This exploratory work was found not to cause any harm to the environment. At this point in time, only exploratory work has been approved.

Social DevelopmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Lawrence Toet Conservative Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, today UNICEF released a new report on child poverty, specifically looking at the effects of the recession.

Could the Minister of State for Social Development update the House on UNICEF's findings for Canada and what the government is doing to alleviate child poverty?

Social DevelopmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Portage—Lisgar Manitoba

Conservative

Candice Bergen ConservativeMinister of State (Social Development)

In fact, Mr. Speaker, the UNICEF report today showed that Canada's child poverty rate actually decreased during the recession years, pulling 180,000 children out of poverty. UNICEF's president said that Canada had done better than most western countries because of the low-tax incentives that we provided families and also the programs like our universal child care benefit.

We are very proud and grateful for these results. Under our Conservative government, we have seen child poverty reduced to an all-time low. We will continue to take action to protect Canada's most vulnerable.

HealthOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC

Mr. Speaker, last week we tabled a motion asking the government to work collaboratively with Parliament to contain Ebola at source. In that spirit of co-operation, we even amended our original motion to accommodate the government's concerns.

Since then, there have been 400 new Ebola deaths and spread to another African country. Effective action in Africa is even more critical now and so is a national Ebola plan for Canada. It is time to put aside political partisanship and end these deaths.

Will the minister vote for our motion?

HealthOral Questions

3 p.m.

Edmonton—Spruce Grove Alberta

Conservative

Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the member that I have now met with my provincial counterparts three times, most recently yesterday, to discuss their preparedness.

In terms of the motion, the member knows, as we email each other, that I am available every day in the House of Commons. I am willing to come to committee to answer questions. Dr. Taylor, our Chief Public Health Officer, has made himself available for briefings for any MP and he briefed all MPs before the House rose a couple of weeks ago. We will continue to make ourselves fully available to all members of Parliament.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Mr. Speaker, Air Canada is a chronic offender when it comes to official languages.

The public is lodging a growing number of complaints. The Commissioner of Official Languages has criticized Air Canada, and our courts regularly say that the carrier is violating its official language obligations, yet nothing changes.

When will the Conservatives stop tolerating the behaviour of Air Canada, which has repeatedly shown that it could not care less about French and about Canadian laws?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Halton Ontario

Conservative

Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court ruled on this issue. We respect the Supreme Court's decision and we expect Air Canada to comply with the Air Canada Public Participation Act.

National DefenceOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Greg Kerr Conservative West Nova, NS

Mr. Speaker, when we were first elected, our government significantly increased the budget for the Canadian Armed Forces. This allowed the military to undertake some major capital acquisitions, including the purchase of 4 C-17 Globemaster strategic airlift craft, 17 C-130J Hercules tactical transport aircraft, and the Aurora modernization project.

Could the Minister of Justice please update the House on the contribution our modern CP-140 Auroras and CF Greenwood will be making to Operation Impact in the fight against ISIL?

National DefenceOral Questions

3 p.m.

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Conservative

Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, last week I had the honour, with the member for West Nova, to visit 14 Wing Greenwood in Nova Scotia, where two of our modernized Aurora surveillance aircraft were departing for Kuwait as part of Operation Impact to assist in the campaign against ISIL terrorists.

The modernized CP-140 Aurora aircraft, work that was done, as he mentioned, in Nova Scotia, offer the Royal Canadian Air Force a world-class capability and are among the most effective man surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft in the world. They bring a lot to the fight.

On behalf of all Canadians, I want to thank the courageous men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces for the work they do defending Canada's interests at home and abroad.

Gasoline PricesOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canadians continue to be gouged at the pumps in northern Ontario. Thunder Bay, Atikokan and Fort Frances have some of the highest gas prices in the country. Despite gas prices falling in the rest of Canada, prices in northern Ontario are not budging. In fact, some are inching upward.

When will the government finally support our proposal for a gas ombudsman to ensure the people of northern Ontario are not being gouged at the pumps?

Gasoline PricesOral Questions

October 28th, 2014 / 3 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, our government has taken action when it comes to prices at the pumps. We have put in place the Fairness at the Pumps Act. We have put in place a regulation after consultations with the folks in northern Ontario and elsewhere to ensure that the regulation is meaningful for everyday consumers.

My colleague thinks that gas prices should somehow be regulated or that there needs to be an ombudsman. This is an area of provincial jurisdiction and I would encourage him to call the provincial premier and suggest that idea.

We on this side of the House believe in taking action to support consumers and put more money in their pockets by lowering taxes, which we have done, and by preventing any company from gouging consumers through our legislation, which we have done.

We continue to ensure that consumers are adequately protected at the pumps.

ShippingOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Forces et Démocratie

Jean-François Fortin Forces et Démocratie Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

Mr. Speaker, on the weekend, thousands of people marched in Sorel to demonstrate their opposition to the unchecked use of the St. Lawrence River for exporting oil from the oil sands.

They refuse to remain silent about the increased number of giant oil tankers on the river and refuse to accept the risk of an oil spill, which would be disastrous. Unfortunately, neither the NDP, the Liberals nor the Conservatives were there to listen to what the elected officials, citizens and groups had to say.

When will the government acknowledge the concern caused by the oil being shipped on the St. Lawrence and listen to what people have to say?

ShippingOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Halton Ontario

Conservative

Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, our government believes in responsible resource development and that is why we are signing so many free trade agreements. Part of that as well is being ready for the increase in traffic.

That is why about a year ago we embarked upon the world-class tanker safety system. We have introduced a number of measures that do uphold the three pillars, which are to prevent a spill from happening, to respond if it does unfortunately happen and to ensure that taxpayer dollars are kept safe. Under prevention, we have one of the best smart navigation systems in the world and we will continue to invest in that.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of Dame Rosemary Butler, Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the 2015 Indspire Awards recipients: Madeleine Redfern, Brenda LaRose, William Julius Mussell, Elsie Yanik, Jordan Konek. Ron E. Scott, Gerald Anderson, Kendal Netmaker, Kim Baird, Peter Irniq, Dr. Paulette C. Tremblay, Gabrielle Fayant, Dr. Wilton Littlechild and Gino Odjick.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-41, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Korea, be read the third time and passed.

Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

3:05 p.m.

Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière Québec

Conservative

Jacques Gourde ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, upon entry into force of the agreement, over 96% of South Korean tariff lines for industrial goods will be subject to immediate duty-free access, with the remaining 5% eliminated within 10 years. For example, South Korean tariffs on flight simulators, cosmetics, ferro-alloys, gas turbines and scientific instruments, which run as high as 8%, will be eliminated.

This duty-free access will give Canadian products preferential access to the South Korean market and will create a level playing field with South Korea’s current free trade agreement partners.

Another key driver of economic activity in Quebec is the agricultural and agri-food products sector, which employed over 138,000 people in 2012.

From 2011 to 2013, Quebec’s agricultural exports to South Korea were worth an annual average of $93 million, led by pork, malt extract, food preparations and maple syrup.

Quebec will benefit from expanding exports of these and a wide variety of other products, including animal fats, soybeans, animal feed and fruits such as cranberries and blueberries.

The Canada-Korea free trade agreement will eliminate many agricultural tariffs immediately upon implementation of the agreement and will eliminate tariffs, in whole or in part, on 97% of current agricultural exports when the agreement is fully implemented. For example, South Korean tariffs on pork and most processed pork products, which face a current rate of up to 30%, will be eliminated. Tariffs on most food preparations, which run as high as 30%, will also be eliminated. For their part, exporters of blueberries and other berries will see current tariffs ranging from 30% to 45% eliminated. That is not all.

The Canada-Korea free trade agreement also contains robust provisions, which will ensure that Quebec agricultural and agri-food products are not undermined by unjustified trade barriers.

The chapter on sanitary and phytosanitary measures negotiated in the Canada-Korea free trade agreement is a good example. In this chapter, Canada and Korea have agreed to build on their shared commitments under the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

The chapter fully recognizes the rights of WTO members to take the sanitary and phytosanitary measures necessary for the protection of human, animal or plant life or health, as long as they are based on science and are not used as disguised measures to unnecessarily restrict trade.

Under the agreement, Canada and Korea will establish a new bilateral sanitary and phytosanitary measures committee through which experts can collaborate and consult on sanitary and phytosanitary measures to enhance bilateral co-operation and facilitate trade by discussing issues before they become problems.

Since South Korea is a large net importer of agricultural and agri-food products, importing nearly $20 billion in 2013, Quebec stands to benefit considerably from the Canada-Korea free trade agreement.

Beyond tariffs, Canada and Korea recognize the importance of fostering co-operation and transparency in standards-related measures and have committed to encourage the use of internationally recognized standards and membership in multilateral arrangements to minimize duplicative certification and testing of products, including those related to medical devices.

The agreement also includes provisions aimed at minimizing the impact of technical barriers, which will in turn help maximize market access for Quebec’s exports.

To conclude, Canadian companies that do business abroad rely on fair, transparent, predictable and non-discriminatory trade rules. With the Canada-Korea free trade agreement, we are looking to provide the rules they need so they can compete and win abroad and build a stronger economy here at home.

No government in Canada’s history has been more committed to the creation of jobs and prosperity for Canadian businesses, workers and their families. Deepening Canada’s trading relationships in dynamic and high-growth markets around the world is key to these efforts.

Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

3:10 p.m.

NDP

Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Mr. Speaker, the NDP certainly supports Bill C-41, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Korea.

We use three criteria to determine whether or not we will support trade agreements. First, we must ensure that the proposed partner respects democracy, human rights, adequate environmental and labour standards, as well as Canadian values. If there are problems in that regard, is the partner making progress towards achieving these objectives? Next, is the proposed partner's economy of significant or strategic value to Canada? Finally, are the terms of the proposed agreement satisfactory? These are the criteria we use when studying agreements such as this one.

Since 2012, when the United States implemented trade agreements with South Korea and obtained preferential access for its businesses, Canadians exporters have lost 30% of their market share.

Why was this government so slow to act, and why has it negotiated an agreement that is not as good?

Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

I think that the government took as much time as was necessary to negotiate an agreement that is in Canadians' best interest. It will create jobs and opportunities for Canadian workers in all regions of the country.

Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize that this particular agreement was not an initiative by this particular government. In fact, it was South Korea, which back in 2003 put itself on track to go out to the world and sign free trade agreements. Within a year of that, Prime Minister Paul Martin put Canada in a position to begin the negotiations.

My question is in regard to the amount of time that it has taken for this current government to reach an actual agreement. We often hear about the United States, but other countries, such as Chile, India, and Peru, have been successful in getting an agreement in place earlier.

Why does the minister think it took Canada so long to actually achieve an agreement?

Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

Mr. Speaker, I think it is very hard to compare the Liberals' record on agreements with foreign governments to our own record.

Since 2006, and even before then, the Conservative government has signed agreements with partner countries that account for over 52% of the international GDP. That is a huge success, the kind of success that the other side of the House will never know.

Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

3:15 p.m.

Green

Bruce Hyer Green Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

Mr. Speaker, this is a lopsided deal.

In 2013, there was an almost $4 billion deficit in trade with Korea. It is going to get worse.

It is great for Korea. It is great for Hyundai. It is bad for Canadian automakers and auto workers, and I am surprised that the NDP is not standing up for auto workers.

My question to the Conservatives is this: why they are making Canada a resource-exporting colony of South Korea?