Right.
Evidence of meeting #6 for International Trade in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was negotiations.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #6 for International Trade in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was negotiations.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:05 p.m.
Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
We have had active discussions. I speak regularly with interested stakeholders and provincial and territorial representatives, as do my colleagues at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. We have an active round table, if you will, of opportunities for people to engage with us.
As I said, our doors are always open for stakeholders.
3:05 p.m.
Liberal
3:05 p.m.
Liberal
Peter Fragiskatos Liberal London North Centre, ON
Madam Chair, I'm going to yield my time to Ms. Bendayan.
3:05 p.m.
Liberal
Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC
Thank you, colleague.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Picking up on the point regarding consultations, Mr. Forsyth, given that the transitional agreement is intended to be based on CETA, could you quickly walk us through the complications with the relevant stakeholders and the private sector here in Canada that were done in advance of CETA over, I believe it was—
3:10 p.m.
Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Actually, I think I might turn to our chief negotiator for those negotiations, Steve Verheul. He'd be better placed to answer that. It was a while ago, but he would have the best memory of that.
3:10 p.m.
Chief Negotiator and Assistant Deputy Minister, Trade Policy and Negotiations, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Thank you.
Our consultations with the stakeholders, provinces and territories and civil society for the CETA negotiations took place pretty much on a weekly basis. Certainly throughout the negotiations, in any negotiating round, our stakeholders were largely with us, either in the EU or in Canada. We met with them every evening during negotiating rounds.
The consultation process was very intensive and ongoing throughout the CETA negotiations until the end.
We also used that negotiation's consultation network when we conducted further negotiations, including the new NAFTA with the U.S. and Mexico in part, but also for the continuity agreement that Mr. Forsyth has negotiated as well.
3:10 p.m.
Liberal
Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC
Thank you, Mr. Verheul.
I'd like to come back to the decision that Ms. Gray was asking about earlier with regard to a pause in the negotiations. I believe it was March 2019. In your opinion as negotiators, was that a decision that was in the strategic interest of Canada? Do you feel it was an important one in order to ensure that we get the best agreement possible for Canadians?
3:10 p.m.
Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Yes. I think it was a.... We had been actively engaged at the table with the United Kingdom at that point and were getting close. It did come as quite a surprise. We had a thorough internal discussion on it. As I said, it did come as a surprise. The decision we took, after analysis, was very much that it was not in the interest of Canada and Canadian businesses and exporters for us to continue with the negotiations at that time.
3:10 p.m.
Liberal
Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC
In terms of the discussion we had amongst members not too long ago, without revealing any information that you're not allowed to say at this time, are you optimistic regarding the possibility of concluding an agreement before the deadline?
3:10 p.m.
Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
I think it's fair to say that, yes, I am quite optimistic. We have been negotiating actively since August, and very intensively in the last few weeks, down to the final issues to be determined, and I'm quite confident that we will reach a final conclusion very shortly.
3:10 p.m.
Liberal
Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC
Thank you very much.
Perhaps I could ask about the current discussions with the agricultural sector that were referenced earlier. I wonder if at the moment our agriculture workers, our small business owners, our farmers and our industry representatives are in contact with you and are able to provide you with comments and feedback as necessary at this time.
3:10 p.m.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Madam Chair, I have a point of order. There is no interpretation coming through.
3:10 p.m.
Liberal
3:10 p.m.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Ms. Bendayan, your volume is much lower this time around.
3:10 p.m.
Liberal
Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC
I will ask the question in French, in the hope that it will be interpreted into English.
My question is whether Canadian farmers have the opportunity to provide feedback to the negotiators right now.
3:15 p.m.
Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Yes, absolutely. Throughout the negotiating process all stakeholders, but agriculture stakeholders in particular, were able to provide their concerns and raise any issues with me as the chief negotiator. As I mentioned, my door and my phone line are always wide open for stakeholders. I would add that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has a robust consultation process with its stakeholders as well.
I'll turn to my colleague Mr. Fowler to see if he has anything he would like to add to that.
3:15 p.m.
Chief Agriculture Negotiator and Director General, Trade Agreements and Negotiations, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Thank you, Mr. Forsyth.
We do have a robust suite of consultative tools that we use to engage with agriculture stakeholders in the context of all of our trade negotiations. For primary interaction we have the agricultural trade negotiations consultative group. We use that group to reach out to the cross-section of agricultural stakeholders in the country. We also engage closely with groups like the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance or CAFTA, individual industry associations and individual companies. We have done that consistently throughout the discussions with the United Kingdom on a potential transitional agreement. They are, I think, very engaged and up to speed on the nature of our discussions.
3:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Thank you very much, Mr. Fowler.
On for four minutes for the last speaker, we have Mr. Hoback.
3:15 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Thank you, Chair.
Mr. Forsyth and Mr. Fowler, thank you for taking the stakeholders' calls.
I can remember being back at WTO days when I was with the wheat growers, and we would go to ministerial events during those negotiations where the ministers were sitting there listening to all the different stakeholders talk.
Have you had any of those events?
3:15 p.m.
Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Just to clarify that question, Madam Chair, are you referring to any stakeholder events that have included ministers?
3:15 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Yes, like you did in WTO negotiations.
I can remember being at some of them with Mr. Verheul. He would be at the front of the stage and the minister would be sitting right next to him. We all had a chance to listen to each other's point of view in a meeting-type format.
Now, I understand we can't meet in person, but we can do it over Zoom. Have you had any of those?
3:15 p.m.
Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Fair enough. Thank you for the clarification. I think I understand the question better.
That was certainly a different time and a different scope, and I think for the consultations we've had.... As I said, both Mr. Fowler and I have had ongoing discussions with agriculture stakeholders. I would add that agricultural stakeholders have been very engaged with our minister as well, our previous minister.