Evidence of meeting #127 for International Trade in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was customers.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
—there and you're on a roll, but I have to be fair to all.
We do have time for one more MP, and the NDP is going to get it.
Mr. Duvall, you have three minutes. Go ahead.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Scott Duvall NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Neumann, Mr. Fonseca turned around and said that the Unifor president has fully endorsed the free trade agreement. I heard the same thing, especially because he deals with auto. I also heard that he didn't feel it was right with the steel and aluminum having the tariffs put on, because that would increase the price of the automobile in North America, which would then take the competition away, because we're going to bring foreign cars in.
Do you agree with that assessment?
12:45 p.m.
National Director for Canada, National Office, United Steelworkers
Sure, there's no doubt that I understand that Unifor has come out and said they're very happy with what's been negotiated with regard to the tariffs, but at the same time, they should be concerned as well, because they have members in the aluminum industries. They have members in Quebec and they also have members in British Columbia, and these tariffs hit them the same way. So, of course, I can't imagine them not saying that it's one thing to have one part of the puzzle that's fine, but if you look at the big picture, it doesn't bode well for their members in the same industries that we represent.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Scott Duvall NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Thank you.
Mr. Hammersley, Mexico is having the same problems that we're having with the steel and aluminum tariffs. They have come out and said they will not sign the agreement until these tariffs on steel and aluminum are taken off. I have heard many requests for the Canadian government to do the same. Do you believe that we should do the same?
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Thomas and District Chamber of Commerce
I cheered when I heard that news from Mexico on Friday, and I would applaud the Canadian government to do exactly the same thing.
12:45 p.m.
National Director for Canada, National Office, United Steelworkers
I think you got my comment: of course.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Have you finished?
Well, folks, that ends our meeting.
Thank you, witnesses. Sorry for a little bit of confusion at the front end, but when we have to go to the Hill, we have to go to the Hill.
Thanks for all the dialogue and the good submissions. These are challenging times for your companies and your workers, and we're going to do our best on this end.
I'm going to suspend. Colleagues, we have five minutes in camera. I would ask everybody else to leave the room, so we can do that. In two minutes, we're up.
[Proceedings continue in camera]