International Trade Committee on July 21st, 2017

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

I'm going to start this meeting pursuant to Standing Order 106(4). I'll open the floor to discussions.

Mr. Fonseca.

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I move:

That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Standing Committee on International Trade invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs and government officials to appear before committee on August 14th for one hour to provide the Committee with a summary of Canada's priorities in the upcoming North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations with the United States and Mexico.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Is there any discussion on this?

Mr. Hoback and then Madam Ramsey.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

First of all, Mr. Chair, on behalf of the Conservatives, I just want to pass on our condolences to you and your family on your mother's passing. It must be a little bit of a tough time you're going through and we just want to acknowledge that.

Second, we appreciate the motion regarding August 14. That's a good first step for sure. Now we had requested that some other ministers be involved in those meetings too. Would you be willing to entertain including them, and then having the officials stay the extra hour as historically is done when the ministers speak for the first hour? The second hour we usually have officials answer any questions.

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Hoback.

Along with Minister Freeland, the lead minister on this file, I believe that we've been working on this since May 6. We've had many meetings and heard many witnesses. The minister is seized with this and understands the officials who would best be able to inform this committee. As well, we know that the first round of negotiations is starting on August 16. Therefore, to bring in the minister on August 14 for that hour is the right thing to do. It's the right time and the right minister, who will be able to come in and inform us where we are at before the negotiations start on the 16th, as well as the officials she would bring with her.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Madam Ramsey.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to echo my condolences on the loss of your mother.

I gave notice of motion yesterday to the committee, but I think we haven't been given given notice for the motion just moved. So I would like to read into the record the notice of motion I provided to the committee yesterday, July 20, 2017:

That the committee, in light of the comments he made on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, stating directly, “we are more than happy to sit down with opposition parties and discuss the approach we're going to take on negotiating, renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in the best interests of all Canadians”, invite the Rt. Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, the Ministers of International Trade, Foreign Affairs and Finance, and Canada's Chief Negotiator for NAFTA to appear before the committee no later than Tuesday, August 15, 2017, and provide a detailed summary of Canada's negotiating objectives and expected outcomes in the upcoming NAFTA renegotiations with the United States and Mexico.

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Chair, I would like to ask for unanimous consent for my motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

We have two motions on the floor.

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, a member cannot move a motion when another motion has been tabled.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

You haven't given notice of your motion, though, and I've given notice. So it's an official notice. Yours is actually out of order. I'm willing to entertain it. I think it's a good motion.

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Chair, can I distribute my notice?

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

I can check with the clerk here, but it has to have 48 hours' notice unless we can take this motion and people want to work on it. That's my solution.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

I've also asked for unanimous consent for my motion, please.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Just a point of order, Mr. Chair. I think you have to deal with the first motion that's on the floor before you can deal with the second one.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

That's what I figured.

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

If I could distribute it....

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Go ahead.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I guess the question I have is on the same point of order. The overall goal of this meeting is to set a date to bring the minister forward, and we'd like to see more people than just the Minister of Foreign Affairs, because it's not just a trade issue. The border adjustment tax, though it will have an impact on trade, is also a finance issue. The Minister of International Trade also deals with Mexico whereas the Minister of Foreign Affairs is responsible for just the U.S. That is why the former needs to be included as well in these talks. I think it's important to have all three and then have the second hour for the officials to basically dot the i's and cross the t's and answer the questions that maybe the ministers just don't have the details and breadth of knowledge on, which we wouldn't expect them to have.

That's why I think it's a very practical request if we could work with you, Peter, on changing your motion to include all three ministers, with the first hour for them and the second for the officials. We'd have a full meeting at that point in time, which would give us a really good overview of what to expect as you move into the August negotiations.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

We have confirmation from one minister so far. I don't know if there would be any big harm in the motion's asking the others if they could come too. We could find out, but we have one's attendance nailed down so far. I'm not trying to jump the gun, but I'm assuming that we're probably going to have a meeting then with at least one minister.

I'm assuming that if this motion goes through, which is fine, you're asking for the other two and the chief negotiator. Is that it?

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Yes.

Is Steve Verheul confirmed as the chief negotiator?

Andrew, can you confirm that for us?

[Andrew Leslie, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

The prerogative of the chief negotiator, and who might arrive, I would respectfully submit would be left to the decision of the minister—

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Okay.

[Andrew Leslie, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

—but I certainly understand the intent.