Government Operations Committee on May 17th, 2007

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

So you only look at the legislation and ascertain whether it has been violated in the bidding procedure?

[Elaine Feldman]

That's right.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

What does the legislation say on the issue of industrial benefits for the Canadian economy? Does it say anything?

[Elaine Feldman]

It incorporates, as I said earlier, by reference the trade agreements. It doesn't specifically refer to the matters that you're raising.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Okay, so is the legislation--

[Elaine Feldman]

It talks about national treatment, non-discrimination. That's what the trade agreements talk about.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

So the legislation just references, has big arrows that point at, an international agreement?

[Elaine Feldman]

The specific international agreements that I mentioned earlier--the NAFTA, the AGP.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Great, thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Daryl Kramp]

Thank you, Mr. Poilievre.

We have just a couple of minutes.

Madam Nash.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Thank you.

I am confused by my predecessor's questions. Mr. Poilievre, I'm not sure if you're calling for us to abrogate trade agreements or not. Your questions were a little confusing.

Let me ask a question about complaints under the CITT. Can you tell me whether you know the incidence of Canadian complaints against other countries based on this trade agreement?

[Elaine Feldman]

No, I don't.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Who is the guardian of those statistics? Is it the national government? Is it their tribunals that have these? Do we not track when Canadian companies complain that they're being unfairly treated under these agreements by foreign governments?

[Elaine Feldman]

Again, it's not something the CITT does. We track the complaints that come to us, but I don't know who tracks--

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

So if France made a complaint to Canada, you would track that?

[Elaine Feldman]

Let me be quite clear, we don't deal in country-to-country disputes. We deal with disputes that are brought by particular companies. So a French company could come before the tribunal, yes.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

So if Michelin in Paris, or wherever, decided it was being unfairly treated regarding tires for government fleet vehicles, they would make a complaint, but we do no tracking through your body for Canadian companies that complain internationally.

[Elaine Feldman]

That's correct.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Where would one make that? Where is the appropriate source of that information for us to seek that information?

[Elaine Feldman]

To be honest, I don't know if there's any body in the Government of Canada that tracks that, because, as you said, it's an individual company that brings the complaint, and that company may or may not inform a government body. I truly don't know if they do. There's no requirement on a Canadian company to inform any part of the Canadian government that it's bringing a complaint in France.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Okay, thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Daryl Kramp]

Okay. Thank you very kindly.

To our delegation from the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, thank you very, very kindly for your input and for your assistance here today. Also, in the absence of our regular chair, I'd like to thank our clerk and our research staff, and certainly my colleagues, for their courtesy and consideration to help us through this meeting here today.

Have yourself a great day, everyone. Enjoy the recess.

The meeting is adjourned.