International Trade Committee on Dec. 12th, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you, Mr. Julian.

Thank you to Ms. Aristeo, Mr. Lifson, and Mr. Kirke for coming today and presenting and for answering the questions. I appreciate it very much.

Perhaps you could leave on your own. I don't mean it the way that sounds. It's just so that we can continue with the meeting.

Yes, you can certainly stay if you want.

Mr. Julian, on your motion, the normal way to proceed would be for research to develop a report. We could have a report together by Thursday if you'd like to proceed in that fashion. The normal fashion is for a committee to put together a report based on what we've heard from witnesses and to then bring the report to the committee, and if modification of the report is necessary, do that and then vote on the report.

Is that an agreeable way to proceed here, Mr. Julian? It's the normal way.

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

Nice try, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

It is.

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

We have had witnesses on this, and the reality is, from the rumours we're hearing from the government, that there won't be a Thursday meeting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Certainly we'll be back after Christmas, then, Mr. Julian. But the point is that your motion is prejudging the testimony.

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

Mr. Chair, given the fact that testimony did indicate that we're losing five to ten jobs every day, basically, setting it aside for six weeks means...how many additional families are suffering in this country? I think it's fair to say that we should be proceeding forthwith on this. Certainly it would be important for this committee to report back the results of the motion to the House, so that we can then have the debate in the House that needs to be held on this.

I would suggest we proceed on this. We are of course in the committee's hands, but I believe the appetite of the committee would be to move forward on this motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

If that seems to be the way the committee wants to proceed. We had agreed, certainly, to deal with your motion, Mr. Julian, and we will.

Perhaps we could keep the discussion on the motion as brief as possible. We do have people who have other commitments, I know that.

Let's get on with it, then. We have one other person who so far has indicated they would like to speak, and that's Monsieur Cardin, and also now Monsieur LeBlanc. We'll see if there are any others.

Perhaps you could make your points as briefly as possible, so that we can get to the vote.

[Serge Cardin, Bloc, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I asked for the floor earlier because I wanted to express my support for allowing Mr. Julian to introduce his motion. However, as for the motion, my colleague who tabled an amendment will speak to this matter.

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

With a view to supporting Mr. Julian's motion, I hereby withdraw the Bloc motion that I had moved and that read as follows:

the committee [...] urging the Government of Canada to counter disruption of trade in specific categories [...]

I withdraw the proposed amendment

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

To withdraw the amendment, we either have to vote on it or we need unanimous consent.

(Amendment withdrawn)

We will go to Mr. LeBlanc and then to Ms. Guergis, on Mr. Julian's motion, unamended.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I just want to be certain that I understand clearly.

Has Mr. Julian now moved his motion?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Yes, it has been moved.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Chairman, perhaps in an effort to expedite the meeting I can speak on behalf of my Liberal colleagues here. We intend to support Mr. Julian's motion.

I would like to make one amendment, and I'm in your hands. Mr. Julian, I think, is amenable to the amendment. I would simply like to add a sentence at the end of Mr. Julian's motion that would say: That the committee further call on the government to begin bilateral negotiations with China, similar to those undertaken by the United States and the European Union, to reach an agreement on imports of clothing and textiles and that the committee report this matter to the House of Commons forthwith.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Do you have that in writing, Mr. LeBlanc?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

I do, Mr. Chairman.

It wasn't intended to be ambiguous. If somebody wants to suggest.... Our premise is that once safeguards are triggered, the committee would urge the government to begin negotiating a bilateral arrangement as was done in the European Union and the United States. And to be clear, Mr. Julian and I wanted to make sure the committee asked the chair to report this matter forthwith to the House of Commons.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

I have some concern about whether this motion is appropriate. I think it changes the intent and it appears to be a separate motion.

The clerk has indicated it may be in line, but I really wonder about that. But we certainly need clarification, Mr. LeBlanc, on what you mean at the end of your motion, “that the committee report this matter to the House”.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Chairman, I would be in your hands or the clerk's. What is the precise phrase that needs to accompany this motion to require the report to be tabled in the House of Commons?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Okay, that's what you're looking for.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm looking for.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

That the motion be reported to the House.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Yes. I'm not sure “motion” is the right term, but that the committee then report to the House on....

I simply wanted some clarification. If this motion is adopted, the committee will report to the House. It was simply a matter of coming up with the appropriate wording.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

All right, so what we'd do is put at the start of Mr. Julian's motion, “that the committee report to the House”, and that can be done.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Sure. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

All right.

Ms. Guergis is up next.

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

Thanks very much.