International Trade Committee on Jan. 31st, 2017

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

I think it's a simple vote to say that you want to go in camera or not.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

I'm getting clarification from Rémi here.

Go ahead.

[The Clerk]

I just want to make sure: if you have a motion on the floor to go in camera, it's not a debatable motion, and if there's a recorded vote requested, then we proceed with a recorded vote.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I have a point of order again.

I understand, Rémi, that in our Standing Orders we automatically go in camera when we're dealing with motions, do we not?

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

That's what I always understood.

That's the understanding, so let's—

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I mean, that's unless you take it out of camera, if you want to do it out of camera.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Then there shouldn't be any vote to go in camera.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

I think we're just going to go in camera right now, and then we'll talk about the vote.

We're going in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]

[Public proceedings resume]

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Welcome back. We're going to get at this. Everybody understands what we're doing here. Of course, everybody has read this bill, this trade agreement.

I see only one amendment, so is it the will of the committee that I do all the clauses up until the amendment?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

I have to mention that pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of clause 1, the short title, is postponed.

The chair calls clause 2.

We've had a little bit of discussion, so if everybody agrees, we're going to group everything until clause 14.

(Clauses 2 to 14 inclusive agreed to)

(On clause 15)

Does everybody understand clause 15? I understand there is an amendment.

Ms. Ramsey, do you want to speak to your amendment?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This amendment seeks essentially to entrench a report, a review of human rights, looking at the impact on human rights in Canada and Ukraine of actions under the act.

I think, given the ongoing human rights concerns in Ukraine and the possibility of more conflict in this country—this country has been very torn between its ties to the west and to Russia—it only seems prudent that we monitor the human rights situation and have an independent annual report looking at any consequences on human rights of greater trade.

Since 2014 Ukraine has made some progress implementing reforms, but according to a BBC report, it “teeters a few steps from chaos”. According to Human Rights Watch, hostilities in eastern Ukraine continue to simmer after leaving 9,000 dead and 1.4 million people internally displaced. While there have been some positive recent developments, there are still outstanding concerns. We still don't know if Canada will add Ukraine to the automatic firearms country control list, which is something that we had questions about during our department review.

I'm asking the committee to seriously consider this amendment to entrench this inside the agreement so that we can ensure that ongoing human rights are protected both here and in Ukraine.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Thank you, Ms. Ramsey.

Mr. Ritz.

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Just as a point of clarification—and I'd ask this of Ms. Hillman—is this possible? We have an agreement in principle that's been signed by both parties. Logistically is this even possible to do? We're inserting something after the fact. Do we not have to have agreement from Ukraine to do this?

[Kirsten Hillman, Assistant Deputy Minister, Trade Agreements and Negotiations, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

As I understand the amendment, it is proposing that the obligation for reporting would be on Canada alone and there wouldn't be any obligation on Ukraine. So—

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

But that's not the purpose of the amendment.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

It is.

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

You want Canada to do an assessment of its human rights, and not Ukraine to do an assessment of its own?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

I'll read it out. It's calling for an independent review:

15.1(1) The Minister must cause an independent review to be undertaken of all actions taken under the authority of this Act and of the impact of these actions on human rights in Canada and Ukraine.

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Right, so you have included Ukraine?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Yes. It continues:

(2) The Minister must cause a report of the review to be laid before each House of Parliament by May 15 of each year or, if that House is not sitting, on any of the first 30 days next thereafter that the House is sitting.

We are asking for Canada, the minister, to call for an independent review to then be submitted.

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

But you're enforcing this on Ukraine.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

It's an independent review. We're not—

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

It doesn't matter who's doing it. It's not part of the agreement now. My point is, logistically, how does this get inserted into an agreement that's been reached unless Ukraine says that, yes, it will do this?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Okay, it's similar to the Canada-Colombia agreement—