This bill is from the 40th Parliament, 2nd session, which ended in December 2009.
Stockwell Day Conservative
This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.
This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.
This enactment implements the Free Trade Agreement and the bilateral agreements between Canada and the Republic of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Kingdom of Norway and the Swiss Confederation signed at Davos on January 26, 2008.
The general provisions of the enactment specify that no recourse may be taken on the basis of the provisions of Part 1 of the enactment or any order made under that Part, or the provisions of the Free Trade Agreement or the bilateral agreements themselves, without the consent of the Attorney General for Canada.
Part 1 of the enactment approves the Free Trade Agreement and the bilateral agreements and provides for the payment by Canada of its share of the expenditures associated with the operation of the institutional aspects of the Free Trade Agreement and the power of the Governor in Council to make orders for carrying out the provisions of the enactment.
Part 2 of the enactment amends existing laws in order to bring them into conformity with Canada’s obligations under the Free Trade Agreement and the bilateral agreements.
Part 3 of the enactment provides for its coming into force.
All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.
Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-2s:
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, contained in letters from workers in Lévis and other places across Canada are some heartfelt concerns. The thing that strikes me is they are appealing to us to appeal to the Liberals because they do not want to wind up on EI, which the Liberals gutted in 1995. The Liberals set in place the rules that have excluded people from EI today. This is a huge irony.
Has the member seen some of these heartbreaking letters?
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that at the end of the day, every time we talk about a lost job, we talk about a family. We are talking about individuals who are having a tough time.
We are also forgetting that in killing the shipbuilding industry, the Conservative-Liberal alliance party, and people can work out the acronym, is ensuring that the steel industry, in places such as Hamilton in particular, will have few places to sell its steel. It is a connectedness in the economy that the Conservatives have never been able to understand.
Yes, I have looked at those moving letters from men and women who work in those jobs and who simply do not understand how their government, with the culpable complicity of the Liberals, is selling them down the river. Why are we so incapable in the House of doing the same thing that has been done in other countries that have signed similar agreements, which is to carve out the section that will protect this key industry?
My colleagues from British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and I am from Quebec, have worked very hard to try and preserve the industry, to avoid the error of this trade agreement. We have stood and spoken to the issue any number of times.
Unfortunately the NDP, for the time being, does not have the plurality of votes in the House that it would require to block this mistake, and it will go to go through again. The Conservatives have an ideology and the Liberals believe nothing. The Liberals will vote with the Conservatives because they do not believe in anything.
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
NDP
Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON
Mr. Speaker, can my colleague from Outremont give us a sense of how many jobs may be affected if this bill passes? Once the Conservative Party is history, as it surely will be one day, does the member think that it will be too late to revive shipbuilding in Canada?
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, in terms of direct employment, shipyards across Canada still employ several thousand people. If we sign this agreement, all of those jobs will be in danger because Norway will be able to take over the lion's share of our market. Except for some minor repair work, this will be the end of Canada's shipbuilding industry. We have been building ships here for 400 years, but this agreement could ring the death knell of a major industry that provides direct employment to thousands of people.
Some people tend to forget what is going on for my colleague from Hamilton, where they make steel. One of the basic ingredients in stainless steel is nickel, which is produced in the region represented by the member who just spoke, the name of his riding being a clear indication.
Jobs in mines and the steel industry could be lost if this agreement is signed. That is why these tragic job losses will reach much farther than jobs in the marine sector. Job losses will also affect the resource sector—mines—the processing sector—manufacturing—and, of course, all related services.
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Andrew Scheer
Resuming debate. There being no further members rising, pursuant to the order made on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, it is my duty to put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the motion at third reading stage of Bill C-2, and of the amendment.
The question is on the amendment. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment?
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Agreed.
No.
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Yea.
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Nay.
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Andrew Scheer
In my opinion the nays have it.
And five or more members having risen:
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
The Acting Speaker
Pursuant to order made on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, the division stands deferred until later this day at the expiry of the time provided for government orders.
The House resumed from March 23 consideration of the motion that Bill C-2, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the States of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Republic of Iceland, the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Kingdom of Norway and the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Swiss Confederation, be read the third time and passed, and of the amendment.
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
The Speaker Peter Milliken
Pursuant to order made on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment to the motion.
The question is on the amendment. All those in favour of the amendment will please rise.
The hon. chief government whip is rising on a point of order.
Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation ActGovernment Orders
Conservative
Gordon O'Connor Conservative Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON
Mr. Speaker, if you were to seek it, I believe you would find agreement to apply the vote from the previous motion to the current motion, with Conservatives voting no.