Evidence of meeting #51 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 clause.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Sometimes I can let you guys have a flow of dialogue back and forth without going through the chair, but I don't want to put people on the spot if they really don't want to comment.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Does Mr. Dhaliwal or anybody else have any more comment on this amendment?
Nobody wants any more comment on this amendment, so I think we have to bring it to a vote.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(Clause 7 agreed to)
(On clause 8)
The NDP has an amendment. Is there any comment on NDP-2?
Go ahead, Ms. Ramsey.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
In section F of chapter 8, we're talking about the court system and we're talking about the ISDS provisions. If the EU is not approving this—it's provisionally applied—then we in the NDP believe that Canada shouldn't either, that it shouldn't be part of the agreement. It can come later, after the full ratification, but really we're looking at many years before we hit that amount.
We know that EU states have said they won't ratify it with these positions, so why should we? We really feel strongly, and EU members do as well, that they haven't left this to the EU Parliament. They have carve-outs that exist for themselves around this. We don't mirror that in this agreement, and there's a concern there about that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Is there any more comment on this amendment?
If not, I'll ask for a vote on amendment NDP-2.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
There's a side note here. NDP-2 has been defeated, which means NDP-11 is defeated as well, as they are interrelated.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Okay.
(Clause 8 agreed to)
(Clauses 9 and 10 agreed to)
Now we'll go to amendment NDP-3.
Are there any comments on NDP-3?
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
As long as there are carve-outs from the declaration, I think the minister should be reporting to Parliament. This is an addition that's asking for the minister, within two months after the end of each calendar year, to prepare a report on the implementation of the agreement in Canada and the European Union.
As a method of understanding what's happening, because we're in this mirroring space where there are pieces of the agreement that are carved out, I think it's important that we get reports from the minister. We're requesting that we would receive those within two months after the end of each calendar year to support where the agreement stands at that point in time. Because we know that it will take three to five years to go through the European member states, it would be good to have the minister reporting to Parliament every year on where we stand.
December 14th, 2016 / 3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
On that point, as this is provisionally applied, and as state by state in the EU they ratify it, coming on at different times, is there a provision for a reporting mechanism that allows Canadian businesses to know what they have available to them, at what stage we are, and how soon they should be ready for such and such a market? Is that type of information going to be available on a going forward basis?
How will they know, Steve? Do you know?
Chief Trade Negotiator, Canada-European Union, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Mr. Chairman, member states will all have to individually ratify the agreement before those remaining sections come into effect.
Chief Trade Negotiator, Canada-European Union, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
It doesn't come into effect as each member state ratifies it. They have to wait for all of them to have completed it.
Conservative
Chief Trade Negotiator, Canada-European Union, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
That's right.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Are there any more comments on the proposed new clause 10.1?
Go ahead, Mr. Hoback.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Is there any evidence of having a reporting stage on a trade agreement in the past? Are there any agreements that have it already built into them that we report on them every year?
Chief Trade Negotiator, Canada-European Union, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
I'm sorry. I couldn't [Inaudible—Editor]
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Is there a clause in any of our previous trade agreements that has a reporting mechanism like this?
Chief Trade Negotiator, Canada-European Union, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
No, there is not.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Thank you.
If there's no more comment.... This amendment is for a new clause.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(On clause 11)
We have an amendment from Ms. May.
Thank you for joining us today.