I am. The motion reads:
(1) That, in accordance with the motion adopted by the Committee on September 27, 2011 inviting the following to appear in the context of the Committee's study on Canada-United States trading relationship - draft “Buy American” provisions:
- Gary Doer, Ambassador of Canada to the United States,
- The Hon. Ed Fast, P.C., M.P., Minister of International Trade, and officials
- Representatives of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters,
The witnesses appear before the Committee before the end of November 2011 and that the Committee present a report with recommendations to the House no later than December 9, 2011 with a request for a response from the government.
I so move. I do so, Mr. Chair--and I apologize to the witnesses--because what we are seeing from the government side is that when we move a motion, the government forces the motion into an in camera session, where nothing about the motion can be talked about. This is a motion that needs to be talked about in the public arena. All our motions need to be talked about in the public arena.
Why is there the need for this motion now? The Government of Canada has not been on its game in terms of President Obama coming forward with the Buy American provisions. It's very serious to us. CETA is an important agreement, but the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade itself admits that where trade is about 75% with the United States today, it will be the same in 2040. We can't just be concentrating on other agreements and letting slide the importance of our trading relationship with the United States.
I believe it is extremely important that the committee call the people who are responsible, in terms of that trading relationship, before this committee to find out what went wrong, is there anything we can do about it, and how do we ensure that either the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Canadian embassy in Washington, the minister, or our trade secretariats across the United States are on top of these things before they happen?
Mr. Chair, the last point I'd make, because I don't want to take a lot of time, is that the $5.50 entry fee, which again the minister was surprised and disappointed about, was in Congress for some time and nobody from our side seemed to have challenged it. As a result of that, I believe it is critical that we bring these witnesses in and ensure, or try to ensure, that the Government of Canada is going to be strenuously observing that trading relationship with the United States and taking pre-emptive action rather than after the fact.
That is the reason for my motion, Mr. Chair, and it says in the motion that we would want this done prior to the end of November. I would remind Conservative members opposite that in a public meeting, in which we didn't have a deadline on the hearing being over, all Conservative members supported the motion, so I would expect them to do the same today.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.