Evidence of meeting #6 for International Trade in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was workers.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Michael Kram Conservative Regina—Wascana, SK
I believe one of you mentioned that Energy Star is a trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Is that correct? If the Canadian government made Energy Star mandatory, is it the U.S. government that sets the requirements for Energy Star as well, for qualifying?
Meagan Hatch
Yes, that's right. If you made everything Energy Star, it would be the end of the Energy Star program here in Canada.
Conservative
Michael Kram Conservative Regina—Wascana, SK
Okay. Can you see any challenges in having a Canadian program comply with standards established entirely by a U.S. government department?
Manager, Policy and Data Analysis, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers Canada
Yes. It's a voluntary program. It's run by the U.S. EPA. Currently, they go through their whole standards process there. Depending on what happens to the program.... It's voluntary and it's operated by the U.S. government.
Conservative
Michael Kram Conservative Regina—Wascana, SK
Okay. If the U.S. government changes it at any time, Canada would have to follow in lockstep without any input. Is that accurate?
Meagan Hatch
Yes. If we're going to tie our regulations to Energy Star, then yes, that would be very strange, because they could change them in the United States and I guess we'd have to follow. It just doesn't make any sense.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to thank each and every one of you for coming today and for staying for a late evening.
My question is for all of you. How does this agreement create fairness for workers and small businesses when it comes to gender equality, particularly when you see that a lot of businesses are owned by women?
Would you like to start, Phil?
Lobbyist, Teamsters Canada
Thank you. You always give me the hard questions.
I want to say that in this agreement it's the first.... I credit the government for this. Trade deals have to get away from just being so-called neutral in trade. The government put labour issues forward and wanted to go farther, and women's issues forward and wanted to go farther, and in terms of indigenous, etc., as well. Hopefully, as we move forward, this will become the trend and will become more important. We must have that balance in an agreement. Where it goes from there, I'm not sure, but I give full credit for fighting for it. I know that we tried our best to push for it, but full credit goes to the government for bringing it.
On where it goes with industry, as you know, we're fighting for pay equity and all these other things. It's a separate field. Trade can't do everything, but thank goodness it was looked at and became a partial in the trade deal. Congratulations to the government for running with it. It's the only government that I know of in the country—and in the world—that has pushed that, so good for you.
President, Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association
Currently, all automakers have mandates for sourcing from women-run suppliers. Past agreements have reduced the regional value content and reduced supplies and volumes that are bought from Canadian base supply. This one increases them, so indirectly here, it's a wider opportunity, with more content coming from Canada and more women-run suppliers able to bid into those carmakers' purchases.
Let me say one more thing, Mr. Dhaliwal. We spoke of your son, who is 16 years old. Happy Birthday to him.
President, Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association
Some of you served here with my father.
President, Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association
That's right. I spent my 16th birthday with him up here in Ottawa. My mother, who was going to university at the time—she went back to university—came home and made me a tiramisu. We knew that my father was doing honourable work, and it's a pleasure to be with some of his colleagues here. Thank you for calling me up time and again.
Liberal
Manager, Policy and Data Analysis, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers Canada
With regard to CUSMA, with the sectoral annexes and the others, it levels the playing field for energy efficiency regulations. Regardless of the business, everyone has to follow the same rules to meet the standards. With regard to businesses and gender equality, it just levels the playing for all.
Meagan Hatch
Yes. Affordability can be tied into gender equality for sure. We're saying that making everything Energy Star is going to affect affordability.
Todd Beasley
I'm really proud to say this. As someone who has 40 years in the oil and gas industry, gender has never been an issue. For some of the brightest, most exceptional people I've met in my career throughout the world, gender had nothing to do with it.
Ladies were as intelligent and as capable, and they were treated that way. They rose to the top of the ivory tower. Some of them chose not to, for family reasons, and that's up to them, but the bottom line is that I don't believe we've ever been.... You're not going to see a gal out on a drilling rig spinning chain or flipping pipe or something like that. It's physically different, but as far as engineering goes, and the legal services, the accounting and all of those services, gender never did have anything to do with it. I'm proud to say that.
Director, Corporate Affairs, IPEX Group of Companies
I'm an engineer. It's very tough for me—
Director, Corporate Affairs, IPEX Group of Companies
—to straddle that. All I can say is that buy American is the biggest threat to us. I think men and women will lose their jobs if buy American is implemented.
