International Trade Committee on Feb. 26th, 2021

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Mr. Andexser, I'm just wondering.... Obviously, we're talking about trade agreements today. Many times there is a lot of non-tariff content in trade agreements. Is it your position that you would prefer to see the expat issue for U.K. pensioners resolved in the context of a trade agreement, or do you think that the coming negotiations for a new agreement are simply a nice leverage point to try to get an independent agreement on the state of U.K. pensioners?

How do you see this playing out, and what advice would you offer to the committee or to government on how best to secure a resolution to this long-standing issue?

[Ian Andexser]

The answer to that rests with the people who are involved in the discussions.

Yes, we would love to see you include this as part of any trade negotiation. However, I listened to all the other witnesses, and basically what I'm hearing is that every one of these witnesses this morning is trying to get a level playing field for their association. The whole purpose of a trade negotiation is to get economic benefit for Canada. By pointing out that the frozen pensions here are costing Canada a half a billion dollars, I would look for you, as a trade committee, to suggest, “Yes, if you can, include this.”

It's an excellent opportunity for you to level the playing field, and it's financially beneficial for you to do so. If you can include it in trade, that's great. Use it as a bartering process or a negotiating deal—however we can get it resolved. It's just been going on far too long. For Britain to continue to penalize the Canadian economy.... It has to stop. You have the opportunity as you're going into these negotiations now to use your power to do so.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Bendayan talked about some of the amendments that are proposed not for the agreement but for this enabling legislation. One of those is a standard non-derogation clause that simply recognizes the existing rights of indigenous peoples in Canada. It's been recommended by the Assembly of First Nations. If it were to pass today, it wouldn't require an [Technical difficulty—Editor] any more time than the time that's already been allocated.

Does the Business Council of Canada have any objections to recognizing the existing rights of indigenous peoples in the legislation?

[Trevor Kennedy]

I, frankly, don't know anything about the subject. However, I can say that, looking toward the future negotiations, like we did for the USMCA, I believe there could be a special focus on the rights of indigenous peoples in trade. That was a focus in that negotiation, and it's something that we could carry over into our next negotiation.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Nobody in your group has raised concerns about a delay in the implementation of Bill C-18 because of a non-derogation clause with respect to indigenous rights. That hasn't come to your attention.

[Trevor Kennedy]

It has not come to my attention.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

However, you have talked about other issues with Bill C-18. Is that true? People have brought issues to your attention about the bill and the concerns about delay?

[Trevor Kennedy]

Concerns about the implementation of the trade continuity agreement as I have read it and understood it.... Yes, we want to continue the trade relationship.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Okay. I'm glad to hear that it wasn't one of the concerns about delay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you, all, very much.

Thank you to the witnesses.

We will suspend now so that the witnesses can leave and our departmental people can come forward so that we can start our legislative agenda section of the meeting. We will suspend for just for a few moments while they do the witness check and sound check.

Thank you very much to the witnesses. That was valuable testimony.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I'm calling the meeting back to order.

Let me introduce our witnesses. We have Doug Forsyth, director general for market access and chief negotiator, Canada-United Kingdom trade continuity agreement—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

I have a point of order, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Yes, there's something that's....

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Can you hear that as well?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Yes, I was beginning to think it was just me for a second.

Madam Clerk, we're having a problem here. We're hearing ourselves in our mikes.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Christine Lafrance]

I'm hearing myself, too. The technician is looking into that.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I'll call the meeting back to order for clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-18.

With us for witnesses, from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, we have Doug Forsyth, director general for market access and chief negotiator, Canada-United Kingdom trade continuity agreement; Allison Trenholm, deputy chief negotiator, Canada-United Kingdom trade continuity agreement; and Torsten Ström, general counsel, trade law bureau. We also have Brad Norwood from the Department of Finance. I believe he is going to be joining us as well.

Thank you all very much.

As we move forward on this, let's all be patient and go slowly.

We have our analysts with us. We have all of our advisers there to make sure we're going in the right direction with this, too, if we have any questions.

Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of clause 1, the short title, is postponed.

I will now call the clauses.

Do I have unanimous consent to group the clauses when there are no suggested changes?

Is everyone in favour of that? All right, I will—

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I'm sorry, Madam Chair, if I may just jump in. I have my hand up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Yes, you do.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thanks very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Welcome, Ms. Kwan.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I'm just subbing in, of course, for my colleague Daniel Blaikie.

Can I propose that we do everything on division, with the exception of clause 30, for which I would like to ask for a recorded vote? Then, of course, when we get to the amendments, I would like to propose a recorded vote as well on the appropriate amendments that I'll be moving.

Is that okay? That way I don't have to raise it at every clause as we go through.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I have to ask if the committee has any comments or thoughts about that.

You're suggesting that we move all of the clauses.... Do you want to repeat that again? Go slowly, Ms. Kwan, so the whole committee absorbs it all.

Please go ahead.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I'm sorry. I'm proposing that we record the votes on division as you go through clause-by-clause, with the exception of clause 30, to which I would like to get a recorded vote. Then when we get to the amendments, we will decide how we want to proceed on those.

It's just for efficiency so that I'm not raising it at every clause and saying, “On division”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Does anyone on the committee have any concerns or suggestions?

All right, we'll still group them. They'll just be on division.