International Trade Committee on May 28th, 2021

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I'm doing the best I can. I'm in an area with—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Hoback is having technical problems. We clearly hear his voice and we all recognize it.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

My apologies. Good luck to Mr. Hoback. I hope he's able to resolve his technical issues.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Hoback.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Yes, I'm still here.

If I could finish my point, the schedule is unravelling the way it has to unravel, and there are not a lot of choices in it in regard to completing it.

What's surprising me here is that the Liberals don't think this is a crisis. This is a crisis. This is a huge crisis. I think the Bloc member would agree with me if he went back to his forestry workers and listened to them. They would say it's a crisis for them, big time, just as the dairy farmers think they're facing a crisis; plus with tariff rate quotas nipping at their heels in the U.S., that's also a crisis.

When I look at the studies, yes, they are important, but this time is of the essence. To have the committee look at this quickly and have the minister's response and strategy around that would be very helpful to enable people in these industries to understand just exactly what's going on and how they're going to deal with it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you, Mr. Hoback.

Mr. Sheehan.

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Thank you very much.

All these issues that we're discussing today are extremely important. It's been raised with respect to the green clean tech study that we were going to get the recommendations done expeditiously. I have spoken before. First of all, people have said it's my motion, but it's really the committee's motion, because we did Mr. Lobb's nuclear part and a whole bunch of things. We heard a whole bunch in our testimony to the effect that action needs to be happening now.

There are a lot of really important things happening. We heard about the solar industry in Canada, with an 18% tariff. The minister has raised it with officials. All the issues that we are facing—such as tariffs, trade and managed trade—are important to address, but I am in favour of the three days identified for the particular dairy study that was undertaken. As well, I am in favour of studying the forest industry.

I think the real hinge is to have the minister here on that particular day. I think that's the desire of the committee. I want to make it abundantly clear that if that is not the best date for the minister and there is a better date in the very near future, it behooves us to take a look at that and to not lose sight of that really important clean green tech study that we are undertaking. I note that we are running short of runway as the session is coming to an end. I just wanted to make sure I put that out there for the committee's consideration, as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you, Mr. Sheehan.

We will hear from Mrs. Gray and then Ms. Bendayan.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I think you've laid out really clearly how the schedule will work. It's very similar to what you had previously, especially with the private member's bill. You've determined when the minister is able to attend and it fits within the motion, so I think what we're dealing with here is pretty simple.

If the committee wants to continue with other studies—we still have the COVID-19 trade study open—we can sit during the summer. We can have a conversation about the work schedule. We could certainly look at having meetings during the summer to continue with these studies. That's a separate conversation we could all choose to have.

In the meantime, I'd like to call for a vote. I think we've deliberated on this a lot. We can then continue with the other work we have to do today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I have only one speaker left on the floor. If it's okay with the committee, we'll hear from Ms. Bendayan

Ms. Bendayan.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I first want to respond to a comment made earlier by Mr. Hoback.

I find it interesting that he mentions both the urgency of the softwood lumber issue and the importance of looking at matters that pertain to our dairy farmers in the same breath. We agree on both of those fronts and that is exactly what this committee is discussing. I hope my colleague wasn't indicating that the supply management private member's bill, Bill C-216, is not critical for our dairy farmers, because it is. I—

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

That's not what I said. You know that's not what I said. I said these were both very important. For you to assume something different is actually putting words in my mouth. I resent that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Ms. Bendayan has the floor, Mr. Hoback.

Please, Ms. Bendayan.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

My suggestion was that we study supply management first and then go straight to softwood lumber. You implied that softwood lumber was not a priority for the Liberal Party of Canada, which is completely and utterly false. I wanted to correct the record there and propose that the easiest way to move forward is to vote on Mrs. Gray's motion but to allow some flexibility in the dates. I personally am very confused as to where the schedule lies at the moment. Perhaps the chair can circulate an agenda proposing certain dates for everything, bearing in mind the urgency of the situation.

At this moment, I don't have a clear understanding of the next few meetings. I believe others would agree with me on that.

I am happy to support this motion to ensure that we have one meeting, as Mrs. Gray proposes. All of the rest of the motion is quite clear. However, on the date, I'm having trouble understanding where we go from here and whether or not we are doing Bill C-216 before the softwood lumber.

Perhaps, Madam Chair, you can take that back once we vote on the motion without the date. You can then circulate a schedule or a timeline between now and the end of the session, so that everybody has a clear picture of where this committee is going.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I'm happy to do this. I think we need to vote on the motion moved by Mrs. Gray.

Mr. Savard-Tremblay, you have your hand raised, but I need to call a vote on this.

The floor is yours. Go ahead.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Madam Chair, I just need you to clarify something, please.

We are voting on the motion as amended, so if another date is being proposed, why can't we treat it like an amendment?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I have no other motions on the floor. We have adopted the amendment. I am now going to read out again the motion moved by Mrs. Gray, which we will vote on.

It says:

That the committee hold a meeting to invite the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade and relevant government officials to discuss the United States Department of Commerce's preliminary determinations increasing duties on Canadian softwood lumber exports from 8.99% to 18.32%; that the meeting be at least two hours in length; that the minister appear for no fewer than one hour—

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

I have a point of order, Madam Chair. There are members who still want to speak to this.

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

On a point of order, Madam Chair, I have my hand up, too.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I'm sorry. We have a full agenda for the rest of today's meeting.

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

I know, Madam Chair.

You're one of the best chairs, but I had my hand up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Okay.

Go ahead, Mr. Dhaliwal.

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

Madam Chair, I have two things to say.

Number one is that I would like to ask, through you to Madam Bendayan, if she had the amendment to study Bill C-216 before the softwood lumber. Otherwise, I'm going to propose an amendment that instead of the 4th, we say the minister comes on the 14th on softwood lumber. It is to change the date from the 4th to the 14th and make the other dates earlier for Bill C-216.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

We have already adopted June 7, 11 and 14 for Bill C-216.

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

I still can bring an amendment.