It's not as big a deal as it used to be, no.
Evidence of meeting #15 for International Trade in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was ceta.
Evidence of meeting #15 for International Trade in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was ceta.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
But in terms of market, is that a factor? Do you sell out all your blueberries, for example?
12:05 p.m.
Mayor, City of Abbotsford
No. Actually, what happened is that one berry farmer started making a lot of money, so more and more got into it. Blueberries are vastly important. We don't always sell out—for instance, when we have a bumper crop—and we end up sending much of them to the United States market.
I would say this. One thing is that, if we should learn anything, it's that we're the egg producers, and my grandpa taught me the simple rule of “Don't be putting all your eggs in one basket.” Diversity is good. We need to be diverse. Take a look at what happened in the United States market. Some of our industries were devastated by that downturn.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
So the agreement will provide you with additional markets.
12:10 p.m.
Mayor, City of Abbotsford
I think it will balance things off so that when one market is softer, the economy will actually be more balanced. I don't think we should ever be scared to look at diversity and ways to get into other markets.
Will some industries be hurt by it? Yes. Again, maybe I don't know much, but we have $300 million just in Europe, and—
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Thank you. I'd like to get a question in to Mr. Tam.
Mr. Tam, in terms of your industry, Canada is beginning to feel the effect of a labour shortage, a skilled labour shortage. Is there any threat that some of the European countries will be exporting more labour than we will, in the technology sector in particular?
12:10 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, BC Technology Industry Association
Here in B.C., we're probably the poster child for the labour shortage in the tech sector. Our estimate is that we're already at full employment, and the labour shortage issue around that has been exacerbated over the last six to twelve months.
You know, we actually look at it the other way—
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
So in terms of that shortage, is it an inability to export or is it because you have much more ability to export and therefore there is a shortage?
12:10 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, BC Technology Industry Association
When it comes to talent and the correlation to export, I think there are two sides to this coin.
One is that the ability to access foreign markets in the services area is by rights the ability for companies here to have workers we can send abroad to do the work that's necessary for things like government procurement contracts or others overseas. We see that as a benefit because it builds the expertise, if you will, for when they come back.
The other side of the coin is around the flow of labour across those areas. I realize that these agreements don't address immigration policies, but we think that there probably is a discourse that needs to occur in talking about how we expand upon things like start-up visa programs and others that can actually attract more—
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Just getting back to mobility, are there certain markets that are easier for you to get into and for you to go into and get some help?
12:10 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, BC Technology Industry Association
Let me just make sure I understand your question, if I may. Are you talking about people who are doing temporary jobs in other markets?
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
12:10 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, BC Technology Industry Association
The vast majority of our purview is probably workers who go into the U.S. There's probably been much more feedback on that. If anything, the issues around that have been around border thickening and more—
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
So again, it's looking for diversification in markets?
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Your time has gone. The question was finished, so I'll allow a very short answer.
You said “yes”, so I think we're good. Okay?
Mr. Cannan, the floor is yours.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks to our witnesses. I would be remiss if I missed the opportunity to say, yes, I did live in Jasper at one time. It's a beautiful part of the country. It's a very diverse and beautiful country. You can google “happy Kelowna” and find not only why the Okanagan is making people happy, but that it has some international award-winning wine.
Mayor Banman, I know that the agricultural community is very important to our community as well. The cherry growers are looking at the opportunities with 500 million more mouths to be fed and watered and at all the opportunities the Canada-EU agreement provides.
I need just one clarification. In your opening comments, Your Worship, you said, “While our businesses will soon have access to a market almost 15 times the size of Canada's economy, so too will our consumers”, which is “one area in which we would ask the Government of Canada to ensure that they remain sensitive to our Abbotsford-based businesses.”
12:10 p.m.
Mayor, City of Abbotsford
I think one of them was brought up. That would be dairy, for instance, and I think what does the most damage is that all of a sudden the rules change overnight. You have to allow—I believe on both sides—markets to accommodate for that.
We would ask you to just be aware that whenever there's change, associated risk comes with it. Again, while I'm not a trade agreement expert, I would just caution us to make sure on that. It's those unforeseen circumstances that sometimes create some hardship. There are going to be winners and losers in all things, but that allows people to find a new place to jump, so to speak, or to adapt.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you for that clarification.
Speaking of winners and losers, that's something that government is never comfortable choosing. I like the competitive nature, and our businesses are very competitive in the global market. It's a rules-based, stable, strong, predictable scheme in place as far as the rules go and for our trading partners.
From one of the previous witnesses, we heard about the concerns for local government on procurement. We also heard that there's close to $3 trillion in procurement opportunities with CETA. On the procurement issue, maybe you could comment from your perspective in local government.
12:15 p.m.
Mayor, City of Abbotsford
Well, again, I think it's always difficult when all of a sudden you're perhaps forced to compete in a market share that didn't exist the day before....
I still think that if you take a look at the fact that, relatively, we are a smaller market than Europe.... I believe that our sector is going to have competitive advantages to be able to infiltrate into theirs. While some companies may be worse off, I think that the taxpayer overall.... If, for instance, I can take a $15-million overpass and turn that into a $12-million or $13-million overpass, the taxpayers win.
I think we need to look at it from that particular base as well. Again, I'm not an expert in trade agreements, and I'm sure that, as you have done, whether or not that threshold of $7.8 million is enough and needs to be raised a bit.... I'm not an expert on that, but I would expect the committee to take that into consideration.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you for that.
The aspect of working with local government, provincial government, the broadest, deepest consultation, from your perspective have you heard any concerns from any local businesses to the agreement?
12:15 p.m.
Mayor, City of Abbotsford
I have not talked to the businesses with regard to procurement, to be fair.
12:15 p.m.
Mayor, City of Abbotsford
Every business I have talked to has been supportive. They look forward to being able to gain access to those markets and they look at it as an economic boom. I have to say that Abbotsford's unemployment rate is just slightly above the British Columbia average. Again I go back to the fact that the high-tech sector is interested and feels there are advantages to this. That's virtually every business I have talked to including a local power wash company that makes power washers and sells them all over the world. The European market is not a big market for them, but they have toeholds in there and they look forward to expanding their market.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
I would be remiss to not talk about the consultation. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has been consulted, as we mentioned. Your hard-working member of Parliament had served for nine years on your council and worked with FCM. I just wanted to clarify whether you have any comments as far as who's been apprised of the agreement in working with your member of Parliament?