International Trade Committee on Nov. 28th, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you very much, Ms. Guergis.

I'm detecting a mood of the committee here.

Monsieur Cardin.

[Serge Cardin, Bloc, Sherbrooke, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am somewhat surprised.

It is true that it could be interesting to meet with witnesses from various industries and even union representatives from the apparel and textile sector. But where were we all, where were the Liberals and the Conservatives when all the job losses in the apparel and textile industries started happening?

It was not just yesterday, Mr. Chairman, that we started meeting with industry representatives and talking to them. People will remember the steps that were to be taken had already been announced in the House under the Liberals, and nothing was done at that time. Now the Conservatives are in power, but apparently there are fewer apparel and textile companies in most of the rest of Canada. However, all the people involved in Quebec—the industry, the unions and the employees—have been consulted at length. That is a consideration as well.

Moreover, two weeks ago, the representative of the Clothing and Textile Workers Union called for safeguards once again, because of the situation that has been deteriorating rapidly for months, even years. If we do not take action immediately, we can say farewell to the clothing and textile industries. And that would be a bad thing in some cases. So we need to move forward with this proposal. My colleague, in his legendary wisdom, would like to move an amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Can we just go to the question?

Mr. André has an amendment.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

I would like to move an amendment to Mr. Julian's motion. I would add the words “textile and” between the words “Canadian” and “apparel”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

So it's “and textile”—

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

I would also add the words “textile and” after the word “imports”. So the motion would refer to the textile and apparel industries in two places.

Next, after the words “apparel imports from China”, I would add the following:

Since the purpose of the safeguards is to give the industry time to adapt and modernize, they should be accompanied by such assistance measures as: - Improvement of the CANTEX program and its extension to the apparel industry - An income support program for older workers who cannot be reclassified

—which is something that was promised by the Conservative government, of course—

Measures to encourage the use of Canadian textiles In accordance with the desire expressed by the House on February 8 and October 15, 2005.

And that the committee report to the House.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you. We've heard the proposed amendment. Can we quickly go to a vote on that?

Go ahead, Mr. Julian.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

I would accept the amendment, Mr. Chair. I think the amendment has actually reinforced and improved the motion.

Given the time that we have right now and given the concerns Mr. Eyking raised about having witnesses--earlier today we essentially identified blocks of about three hours over the next week during which we could bring in witnesses, both from the clothing and textile workers and from the industry--what I would like to propose is that we table this motion and come back to consideration of the motion following those witnesses next week. That would allow us the opportunity to hear from the witnesses and then have debate, and then hopefully we would have acceptance of the motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

The tabling motion proceeds, so we can go ahead with the vote on the tabling motion.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

We are tabling with provision to invite witnesses from workers and from the industry. Next week we have three hours available over the next two meetings, and then we would come back to consideration of that motion following those witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We'll go to a vote on the tabling motion.

Go ahead, Ms. Guergis.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Chair, I would be inclined to agree with that if we can be sure to include witnesses from the government to ensure that the industry has asked the government to proceed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

I am sure Mr. Julian would agree with that. We have to have a balance of witnesses.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

The industry and workers certainly would be balanced, Mr. Chair, but if we wanted to have additional hearings and if we bring the ministry in first, that shoves aside other witnesses. We know we need to hear from the workers and the industry. If there was additional time after that or if we wanted to schedule additional sessions, I would be fine with that.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Do you mean prior to voting on the motion?

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

That's not part of what I've—

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Well, I don't agree then. That's not fair. You can't just choose which witnesses you want in order to support your argument and not hear from everybody else.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We're going to have to deal with this.

Mr. Julian, would I be correct to think you'd be proposing that we stand your motion until we have witnesses?

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We have to work on the witness balance, Mr. Julian, and we'll discuss that--at the discretion of the chair.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

It will be at the discretion of the chair....

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

You know I'll be fair, Mr. Julian.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Chair, let me raise my concern. My concern is for this not to be set aside and then forgotten. We do this next week and we come back to consideration of the motion. I'm asking that it be stood aside for a very specific period of time, and that we would come back to it, at a maximum, within a week and a half.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

So we deal with the extra hour we have at these next meetings. There are at least maybe two of those.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

There are two extra hours. Yes.