International Trade Committee on May 19th, 2016

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Let me just say what happened. Yes, you could have done it. If you had done it in your first five minutes, I think—

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

But a point of order suspends any time that I have allotted to me. That's my understanding. Am I right?

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Yes.

[Kyle Peterson, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

I lost my time slot because of this. Thank you.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

I'm talking to the chair. I'm directing to the chair the comment that if you do that, it actually suspends the normal proceedings. Is that not correct?

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

My understanding is that yes, you had given the 48-hour notice and yes, you could bring it up.

When a minister comes here and we had allocated everybody a time, you still can bring up your motion, but my understanding is that it would have been within your allocated time to bring that motion up and talk about it.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

No, I think it just suspends my time, and then I have a new allotment of time. I don't know that there's time allocated, to be honest, to speak when you're bringing forward a motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

I'll check the rules, and you may be right.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Okay. I just want to read it into the record.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Just to let you know, it could have gotten into .... You might have been within your right to do it, but it would have really been an uncomfortable situation for the rest of the committee, because it would have cut into their time.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

I submit that the Liberals have an opportunity to speak with their minister quite often. I'm sure they will be able to raise it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

You have the floor right now with your motion.

Go ahead.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Okay. It is:

That the Standing Committee on International Trade request that the Minister of International Trade submit in both official languages (a) an economic impact study of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, TPP; (b) a schedule for broad public consultations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and affected communities; (c) a breakdown of consultations that have been done to date with Canadians on the TPP, including the dates and names of stakeholders, industry lobbyists, provincial and territorial officials, civil society groups, aboriginal groups and leaders, academics, organizations, think tanks, student leaders, individuals, outside consultants, and officials within Global Affairs Canada or other government departments; (d) a breakdown of comments submitted to date via email to [email protected], including the number of comments both in support of and opposed to the TPP; and that the Minister submit this information to the Standing Committee on International Trade by June 29, 2016.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Everybody has the motion, and they have it in both languages and have had plenty of time to look at it, I guess.

Is there any comment on the motion?

Yes, Mr. Hoback.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Yes, Chair, this is through you to Ms. Ramsey.

I know she specified “with Canadians”. I'm curious. Since it appears that the minister is going to wait for what the U.S. does on this deal, she must be consulting with Americans. I guess I'm curious about why she would be waiting for the Americans to decide our fate.

Would she be open to a friendly amendment whereby we just switch “with Canadians” and take “stakeholders” or something that's more general?

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

As a clarification, is this in the (c) part—“with Canadians”?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

What is it that you would like to add in there?

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

it would be just “consultations that have been done to date”—

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Do you mean, take Canadians out?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Would you prefer to add “and Americans” to read “with Canadians and Americans”?

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

It might be “with Canadians and non-Canadians”. I'm curious about whether she talked to other countries too.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

That's interesting, yes—from the other parties. That's fine.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Can you read your amendment?

Would you repeat line (c) in the new text?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Okay. The part (c) would read:

a breakdown of consultations that have been done to date with Canadians and non-Canadians on the TPP, including the dates and names of stakeholders, industry lobbyists, provincial and territorial officials, civil society groups, aboriginal groups and leaders, academics, organizations, think tanks, student leaders, individuals, outside consultants, and officials within Global Affairs Canada or other government departments.