Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on International Trade entitled, “Promotional Funding for Beef Exports”.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 58% of the vote.
Committees of the House November 25th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on International Trade entitled, “Promotional Funding for Beef Exports”.
Government Accountability November 17th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, today's release of Transparency International's 2009 report points toward our government's hard work at improving accountability and transparency.
Could the Minister of State for Democratic Reform please share with the House his views of the report and what it means for our government?
Committees of the House November 17th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, entitled “Defending Supply Management at the WTO”.
Committees of the House September 28th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade. The report is entitled “Exploring Enhanced Commercial Relations with Brazil”.
Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act September 14th, 2009
Madam Speaker, I have been amused throughout the debate listening to the questions, comments and debate provided by the socialist party on my left.
We had these same arguments when we began the free trade discussions with the United States some 20 years ago, that we were going to lose jobs, lose our pensions, lose our water and become hewers of wood and drawers of water.
The facts are quite different from that. Canada is a leading performer in the G8 . It has the highest employment generation in the G8 and the highest increase in values of exports to the U.S. This is what it has done for Canada. This is what it will also do for Colombia to help Colombians.
Dozens of witnesses across the demographic field in Canada and also in Colombia praised it. Certainly, we heard the disgruntled views of the socialists.
Sometimes I wish that more people in the country had an opportunity to listen to these debates, because if they listened to this stuff, they would know the dangers of a coalition with the socialists.
Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act September 14th, 2009
Madam Speaker, first, one of the bases of this side agreement is the enforcement of environmental protection laws and rules and also made clear under the United Nations convention on biological diversity. These conditions, rules and regulations have been accepted by both parties to the agreement, broadly.
During the course of our debate in committee, we heard about the progress the Uribe government, which is six or seven years old, has made broadly in accepting this modernizing and reaching out to people to help them get out of poverty. This is just one of the reasons to diversify away from the drug climate and help to provide decent jobs to people so they can break the trend of having to work on drugs.
One of the Canadian Wheat Board members appeared before the committee and said:
[A] Canada-Colombia free trade agreement would contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in Colombia.
Reforms introduced over the past decade have served Colombians well.
As recently as 2006-07 the World Bank listed Colombia as one of the world's top ten economic reformers, not performers but reformers, and last year the economy grew by 6.5%. This is just part of how Colombia is getting control over the economy and helping the people.
Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act September 14th, 2009
Madam Speaker, as chair of the House of Commons international trade committee, I appreciate this opportunity to speak to the Canada-Colombia free trade agreement. Despite what members may have just heard, it is an exciting agreement for many reasons, especially during this time of global economic uncertainty.
From the earliest days of this global crisis, our Conservative government's message has been clear. This is not the time to turn inward and protectionist; rather it is the time to open doors to cooperation with key partners around the world, partners like Colombia.
Through this free trade agreement, Canadian investors and businesses in a wide range of sectors stand to benefit from better access to the growing Colombian marketplace. While the agreement opens up a wide range of exciting new commercial possibilities for Canadian business and investors alike, it is significant for another reason as well. It includes a side agreement on the environment, an agreement that includes key provisions that will help ensure that our two countries pursue the highest possible levels of environmental protection as we intensify our commercial relationship.
Our Conservative government is committed to protecting the environment. It is a commitment we can see reflected in all our policies. Moreover, our government believes that trade liberalization and environmental protection can be, and indeed must be, mutually supportive goals. They go hand in hand. This agreement proves it.
Our environment agreement commits both parties to maintain the highest levels of environmental protection, and to effectively enforce domestic environmental laws. Our agreement reaffirms commitments our two nations made under the United Nations convention on biological diversity, a convention to strengthen biodiversity and to respect, preserve and maintain a traditional knowledge of indigenous communities in that respect.
Colombia has one of the most diverse biological resources of anywhere in the world. Canada is committed to working with our Colombian partners to help preserve these resources in a manner that takes into account the interests of indigenous peoples. We are also working closely with Colombia to help Colombia build new partnerships and promote best practices in environmental stewardship. Canada is a world leader in this regard.
As a member from Alberta, I can say that this is especially true in the resource sector when it comes to environmental stewardship and environmental impact assessments. We can offer a lot to our Colombian partners in terms of expertise and best practices. Indeed, Canadian companies are leaders in corporate social responsibility in minimizing the impact of their activities on the environment.
When the trade committee visited Colombia, we heard great praise for the corporate social responsibility of Canadian companies working in Colombia, companies like Petrobank, Nexen and Enbridge, for not just providing safe, secure jobs but investing in the Colombian people, in human rights training, social investments in health and education and in infrastructure. In fact, they are already a deep presence in Colombia, which not only speaks to corporate social responsibility and the economic opportunities of our relationship, but also to our shared commitment to sustainable development and environmental responsibility.
We heard from dozens of witnesses, over and over, during the visit of the international trade committee to Colombia about the corporate social responsibility and leadership of Canadian companies, their treatment of workers and the benefits to their workers.
Once again, with the side agreement on labour, our goal is to ensure that our intensified relationship with Colombia is a responsible one for workers and also for the environment. As our government continues moving forward on opening doors for Canadian businesses abroad, including in markets like Colombia, we want to ensure that our presence is a positive and helpful one.
We believe that free trade can play a positive role around the world. The environmental agreement with Colombia is a great example and a clear indication of our government's principled approach to free trade and to our global partners.
I ask hon. members for their support of this agreement, of our many efforts to help Canada thrive through the global economy, and of our continued commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible business practices.
Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act September 14th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the answer given by the member for Kings—Hants. We have heard a lot of this in the debate.
Also, during the member's speech, he made several references to those benefits to Colombia and to the people of Colombia, particularly those who had previously been employed in the narco-economy.
Does the member feel as strongly about what is good in this for Canada?
Committees of the House June 17th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade entitled, “An Examination of Selected Canada-U.S. Border Issues”.
I would like to particularly thank the committee at this time for a non-partisan visit to Washington. We met with congressmen to push Canada's position against buy American.
Petitions June 15th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of several hundred petitions mostly from Calgary, it appears, in support of the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare.