Thank you, Madam Chair.
Again, I don't think it's reasonable to think that we can find a way to hear from the Minister of Finance in just two days, or convince him to appear. That's really not reasonable.
Let's take, for example, the Minister of Finance's schedule last week, from September 17 to 20. First, there was the meeting in Europe of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, or ECOFIN. It usually brings together ministers in charge of economic and financial issues from European Union countries. However, this year, Canada was also invited.
So it was an extremely important meeting for Canada, and it was essential that the Minister of Finance be well prepared before appearing. Let's not forget that the Prime Minister's first trip after being sworn in was to Europe. He went to France and the United Kingdom. Canada really wants to strengthen economic and diplomatic relations with its European partners. So such a meeting was very important for Canada and for the Minister of Finance, who travelled to Copenhagen to participate in it.
Participation in such a meeting is not just about listening to what other participants have to say. It also means actively taking part in discussions to find solutions with European partners. As has already been said, the world we currently live in is very different from the one that existed before the November 2024 election in the United States, which has a new administration. The world is no longer the same. So we have to prepare and organize ourselves to deal with this new world.
The government got to work, and the Minister of Finance is at the heart of that work. He wants to appear and he will certainly do so, but two days' notice is just not reasonable.
I would like to add that, following that meeting in Copenhagen, the minister also met with Mr. Eby, the Premier of British Columbia. He met with the G7 finance ministers, as well, to consider ways to put in place support mechanisms for Ukraine. All of those meetings have dealt with very important issues, which require significant preparation. It's not just a matter of showing up at a meeting to discuss Ukraine. He has to be well prepared and have important things to say.
It's in the context of all that hustle and bustle that the minister will also appear before us. I tell you that he will do so, but two days' notice is not reasonable. This leads me to believe that the proposal is an attempt to delay the study of Bill C‑4. Everyone seems to agree on the bill. However, given that we are unable to move forward with the work related to the study of this bill, I wonder if everyone really agrees. I think this question is legitimate, since the work isn't moving forward.
I'd like to add one last thing. Of course, we all know that a federal budget is very complex. Various aspects need to be taken into account and a lot of things need to be analyzed before a budget is established. It's not just a matter of forecasting expenditures and revenues. In the current context, it's also about providing direction and proposing new ways of doing things, as well as finding new paths to take in the next year and subsequent years.
We used to live in a world where international trade rules were very clear, an environment where trade was based on laws and rules that everyone understood. The world is now a little more complex, but negotiations are still going on. The Minister of Finance sometimes has informal conversations with Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary. So we continue to try to find at least some common ground with our American neighbours. They're still our neighbours; we can't change geography.
The Government of Canada also announced that the consultation process for the review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA, would begin soon. In Canada, we will begin this review process by asking ourselves what we would like to see in this new version of the agreement, which will be negotiated in 2026 with the United States.
This work is extremely important, and the Minister of Finance has a key role to play in the negotiation and review process for CUSMA.
I repeat that, for all these reasons, it is entirely reasonable to postpone the Minister of Finance's appearance by a few days.
September 24 is 48 hours away. Given the context we're in, 48 hours is really unreasonable.