Foreign Affairs Committee on June 16th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you so much, Mr. Oliphant.

We go next to Monsieur Brunelle-Duceppe.

Mr. Brunelle‑Duceppe, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon, Minister. Thank you for joining us today.

I would like to talk about the agreement with Taiwan. We recently met with some of your officials. I asked them whether the reason for not signing the agreement with Taiwan stemmed from the government's fear of upsetting Beijing. I was met with a deafening silence in response. So I'm asking you this question. The negotiations ended a year ago. You said in your opening remarks that Canada signed multiple trade agreements. You boasted about this. You gave yourself a pat on the back.

Can you tell us whether your reason for not signing this agreement with Taiwan stems from a fear of upsetting Beijing?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

I'm not sure if the member is aware—and I thank him for the question—but we have recently made sure that we resolve certain trade tensions with China for the benefit of adding billions of dollars to Canada's agricultural sector.

At the same time, we are also pursuing our policy relating to defence and security. You will have seen that the Department of National Defence oversaw a sail through of the Taiwan Strait. The reflection here is that the Government of Canada is pursuing a number of policy initiatives at the same time on the economy, ensuring that we're unlocking economic advantages, for example, for the canola industry—

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Minister. You aren't answering my question.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

—but at the same time, it's ensuring that the defence and security—and our view that the—

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Minister, you aren't answering my question.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

—Indo-Pacific is free and open—should remain part of our foreign policy.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I gather that you have mastered the art of avoiding questions and wasting time. That's unfortunate, and it's unfortunate for democracy. I asked you a clear question—

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Guilbeault, please don't raise a point of order. I have six minutes of speaking time.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

You don't just impute motives in this manner to the minister. I understand that this isn't necessarily the answer—

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I hope that the time used for this point of order won't be taken off my speaking time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Actually, Mr. Guilbeault pre-empted me.

You can, of course, ask questions, but to try to impugn the intentions of the minister is a little bit....

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Okay.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, who asked the two Liberal members of Parliament to leave Taiwan while Mr. Carney was on a trip to Beijing?

Was it you?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

Thank you again for the question.

I would like to emphasize that our members can travel anywhere in the world, and that our foreign affairs are sovereign.

Our foreign policy is not dictated by any other nation.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Okay.

So no one asked these members of Parliament to do so. They left of their own accord.

Do you swear on the Bible or on any book, Minister?

No one in your government asked them to leave.

Is that right?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

As I said, the independence of Parliament is a pillar of Canadian democracy.

Members and senators have a long tradition of travelling all over the world. They're free to travel wherever they want.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Good. Thank you.

So no one in your government asked these members of Parliament to leave Taiwan. That's your response.

Minister, you recently introduced Bill C‑35 on forced labour. We would like to congratulate you on certain aspects. You incorporated many of the components set out in the Bloc Québécois's bill on forced labour, Bill C‑251.

That said, multiple reports have documented forced labour, including a report from the University of Sheffield. This report shows that forced labour was used to produce Chinese electric vehicles.

My question is as follows.

The bill will give you the authority, by order in council, to list products that will be banned here or that must undergo an assessment to determine whether forced labour played a role in their production.

We have evidence of the use of forced labour in the supply chains for these electric vehicles. Can you confirm for the committee that, after the passage of Bill C‑35, you will add Chinese electric vehicles to the list of products made using forced labour?

Will this render the agreement that Mr. Carney signed with Xi Jinping null and void?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

Thank you again for the question.

At this time, we can't confirm the goods that will be included on the list. We already introduced the bill last Friday. We'll now be holding discussions across the country with the members of Parliament and stakeholders to hear their views. In the fall, during the next parliamentary session, we'll have a list. We'll return here to the committee to discuss it.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

We can't wait.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

At that point, I can discuss the products that will or won't be on the list.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Good. I understand. It's good to hear you respond in this way.

If forced labour is proven to have been used in the supply chain for Chinese electric vehicles, will you add these vehicles to the list of products banned in Canada?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

I want to be clear that forced labour for any product or good is already prohibited under Canadian law. We have laws from 2020 and 2024 that specifically prohibit forced labour in a supply chain. Bill C-35 provides additional tools to the CBSA to ensure that any good made by forced labour does not enter the country, period.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you.