Evidence of meeting #49 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 ukraine.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
I understand that, but this sets the rules for trading in Asia, for dealing with China, India, and other groups. This sets the platform for doing business in the next 20 or 30 years. It includes things that those agreements don't include.
That's why I say you have a great platform. You've got partners who are willing to play with you. You have one that doesn't, and—
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
—you've brought up NAFTA. It's maybe, maybe not. We'll see where they go. I'll repeat this because of NAFTA: our interests are for Canadians. As we look at what may or may not happen to NAFTA, I sure hope we're going to look at it from a Canadian perspective and look at Canadian businesses.
If they want to go down the road that they don't want to have NAFTA and say they just want to do bilaterals, which is what they've been teleporting across to us, are we willing to go down that road?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Mr. Hoback, your time is up. We can't get that question in and we can't get the answer, so we're going to move over to the Liberals and Mr. Fonseca.
Liberal
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
I'm sorry; I want to answer it. I'm not allowed to? Can we do a deal that we just have two more minutes?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
No, no. You've been on committees before.
Mr. Fonseca, you've got the floor. Go ahead.
Liberal
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Randy, if one of your colleagues wants to carry on with that question, I'm happy to answer it.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Minister, first off, congratulations to you and your team. Canada is writing the playbook when it comes to progressive trade agreements. I'm sure the world has been watching what we're doing, from the start to where we are today, acknowledging also the work the previous government and the ministers did.
I had an opportunity to speak to former Ontario minister of economic development and trade Sandra Pupatello the other day, and she said she is so delighted that we have got to this stage and this is going to happen.
Working with Steve and with others and then at the table is why we got the buy-in from the provinces, and then in turn from the municipalities and all the stakeholders and the people.
We're always talking about trade here. We're in the bubble. Minister, I often speak to Mississaugans. I speak to my neighbours and I tell them about productivity and efficiency and trade deals, etc., and their eyes glaze over.
What they want to know, Minister, is jobs, jobs, jobs. That's what they talk about. Those jobs mean that they can send their kids to college or university. Jobs mean that their potential is going to be met and that they will be able to fulfill their dreams.
Your opening comments were so right. It has to be a win-win-win for everybody. It's not just about business or about countries; it's about the people. Setting the stage with progressive tax measures in the Canada child benefit and now with the enhancement of the CPP is what others will look to so they can get the buy-in from their citizens.
Minister, when I think about this, I think about a company in Mississauga, Maple Leaf Foods, the biggest processor of beef and pork, etc. How will this impact those workers at Maple Leaf Foods? What will this mean to them in Mississauga?
Liberal
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
That's a great question. I think it's very important for all of us. Although we devote a lot of our time, necessarily, to talking about the finer points of trade policy, it's our job as politicians to be talking about bringing home those benefits to specific people, in particular to the constituents we represent.
Maple Leaf Foods is a great example. It's a company that I know you talk to a lot. I talk to them often, and they are very interested in the opportunities that CETA presents. They have offices all around Mississauga. Here's what Rory McAlpine of Maple Leaf Foods has to say about CETA:
The EU is obviously a very large, affluent market with a strong investment presence in Canada and vice versa. If you think about how, increasingly, global trade is built around intra-company supply chains or coordinated supply chains globally, you can see how a free trade agreement really can build up investment that’s in both respective jurisdictions.
They see some really big opportunities, and I think that should be exciting for your constituents, because it translates into jobs and growth.
I want to highlight one other aspect of CETA, speaking to you personally. I believe, just as I am Ukrainian-Canadian, that you are Portuguese-Canadian?
Liberal
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Your wife is Ukrainian. I think one of the elements of CETA that is exciting for a lot of Canadians is that very many Canadians trace their roots to one of the 28 member states of the European Union, and this is a real opportunity for all of those Portuguese-Canadian business associations, Italian-Canadian business associations, etc., to build those human ties into economic ties. I think that is going to be very exciting for a lot of Canadians and a lot of your constituents.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Thank you. We're going to go from the Ukrainian to the Portuguese and over to the best, the Dutch.
Go ahead, Mr. Van Kesteren.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON
Thank you, fellow Dutchman.
Thank you, Minister, for being here.
Much has been said about the CETA deal, and one of the things that I think is missed—and you alluded to it as well—is the incredible hard work that took place. I know that someday there will be a book written. At that time, maybe it will be seen just how remarkable this deal was.
Steve, you and your team have been given many accolades, but not only was it the hard-working negotiating team, but also the ministers who were involved.
Back home—I think we all get this—a lot of my constituents will ask, “Dave, why aren't you a minister?” They even think I should run for prime minister. I haven't learned much from Hollywood, but I—
Liberal
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Let's get this into a news story of this event. Are you throwing your hat in?
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON
Well, I haven't finished my statement yet. I said I haven't learned much from Hollywood, but one thing I did learn was a line from Clint Eastwood: “A good man knows his limitations.”
I saw the work of our ministers, and I talked to Mr. Ritz right next to me here, because we get pretty close. I think you find the same thing in your caucus too. He tells me at the end of the week where he's been. He's been to this country and that country. He thought I was 40.
All kidding aside—
Conservative
Conservative
December 1st, 2016 / 1:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
I know it's Christmas in Holland right now, but let's get back to order.
Mr. Van Kesteren, go ahead.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON
All kidding aside, there was an incredible amount of work, and I am a little concerned. I'm going to tell you why I have some concerns.
There are two things. First, I see some things that just seem to.... I use the analogy of driving a car and keeping your foot on the gas. That's the key to making these things happen. I'm speaking in terms of the softwood agreement. CETA seems to have finished at this point. In my neck of the woods, there's the Gordie Howe Bridge.
I'm not directing all the criticism to you, Minister. I think it goes to the top. They can say a lot of things about Stephen Harper, but one thing he was was a slave driver. He pushed and pushed and pushed.
I remember when the Prime Minister was first sworn into office and the relationship he had with Barack Obama. They were BFFs. What an opportunity to take that relationship and go to Washington to say, “We've got to get this deal fixed up. It's the softwood lumber.” Again, I refer to the Gordie Howe Bridge. This thing is slowing down. I'm going to give you an opportunity to defend that—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
You're going to have to go quick. You're going to have to get your question in.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON
I see a hesitation. In terms of automobiles again, you hit the gas, but it's not responding. We need to have commitment from the top that these things are priorities and are going to happen.
Can you address that? I'm concerned. Maybe you can even talk about the Gordie Howe bridge, because there are indications that it's slowing down. We can't have that happen. That thing has to get to completion.