International Trade Committee on Dec. 13th, 2021

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I have no problem having that done relatively quickly.

[Chandra Arya, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

I'm sorry, I had a second point.

I agree with Mr. Masse's suggestion on including the Canadian policies that can be considered because the Prime Minister has already said that Canada is willing to align its EV incentives with those of the U.S.

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

Madam Chair, I had my hand up, too.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Sheehan.

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

Thank you very much.

This is proposed legislation that's before the Americans right now. That's why I wanted this motion dealt with today. It sends a clear message at our first meeting about our concern that this ought to be a priority. We know this is potentially going to affect Canadian workers and Canadian businesses. I really think we should pass my motion with the Arif's amendments about including both Build Back Better, Buy America and the EV. We can work out, as we've done before in committee when undertaking studies in the past.... Randy will recall that we have, as we studied things, decided to take a trip to various places, including to Washington, to discuss our concern about the section 232 tariffs. We were very successful in that team Canada effort.

I think it behooves us to work expeditiously right now. It's certainly going to send that signal to our Canadian workers, as well as to American legislators, that we're very concerned about it. I think we should do it right now at 4:18 today and not waste a second.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you.

I have Mr. Hoback and then Mr. Virani.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Sheehan, I'm not trying to delay it at all. In fact, if this committee wants to come back to sitting here between Christmas and New Year's Day and all through January to do this, I would think the Conservatives would be in line with doing that and would be happy to do that because we recognize the importance of it. However, to throw it in front of the committee today the way it's been thrown out, seeing the amendments that have been done to it, and still having no consideration for other members of the committee and their priorities is just wrong.

I think we need to flesh that out. If you want to do it tonight or tomorrow morning, I'm more than happy to do it quickly, but you need to give time for all the members of the committee to get that in here if we're going to start deciding which studies we want to do. If we want to start sitting next week, then let's start sitting next week. We are members of Parliament and this is a big issue. It's been mishandled from day one, so if we can come in as a committee to fix it, I think that's a good thing. I think the Conservatives would be more than happy to do that.

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

On that note, Madam Chair, listening to Randy and the other people, I think we can solve both these issues today by just passing this notice of motion and bringing it to the planning committee to prioritize on a calendar along with other things that the subcommittee may want to do. I would be in agreement with passing the motion and then sending it to the subcommittee to be placed on a calendar with whatever else that subcommittee decides ought to be studied first, second or third.

That, I think, is a way we can satisfy everyone's concerns.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you, Mr. Sheehan.

Chris.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Madam Chair, is it possible to suspend for just 45 seconds or a minute?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I was thinking I would do the same thing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Five minutes can solve a lot of problems, even without coffee. Thanks for suggesting that, Chris.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I call the meeting back to order.

Mr. Virani.

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, there have been discussions among the parties and I believe that if you seek it you'll probably find some support for passing a motion that relates to a study, and then the filling out the details and contours of that study could be done at a later date by the subcommittee on procedure. With your permission, Madam Chair, I will perhaps ask Mr. Hoback to suggest what that proposed language would be and that it would maybe be a friendly amendment to Mr. Sheehan's original motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Okay.

Mr. Hoback.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Terry, hopefully you are listening.

Basically we're going to try to keep it very simple. We're asking the committee to entertain a study on Build Back Better and the impacts it will have on the electric vehicle industry here in Canada and manufacturing, and that the study be reported back to the House when it's completed. We won't put deadlines in it as far as the number of meetings, timelines, witnesses, or travel are concerned at this point in time. We can decide that as a committee as we get into the study, but we will do what Mr. Sheehan wants and that's to send a message to the U.S. that this committee has unanimous consent that it's a big enough issue that we want to study it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Absolutely.

Okay, is everybody good with that?

All those in favour of Mr. Sheehan's motion as amended?

(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

You know, you're going to be a great group of people. We'll get a lot of stuff done if we can just keep on working with each other.

Mr. Savard-Tremblay.

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

I would still like to say that it would be nice if we could agree so that, when we return—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I'm sorry, the translation was delayed.

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

It would be nice if we could agree on a topic to study when we return. That way, we wouldn’t start with a subcommittee meeting. In other words, everything should be in place when we come back after the holidays.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Madam Clerk, would you come over here for a minute?

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

So I appeal to all of us to agree to have a topic to study in January, after the holidays. It would be nice to resume our work with a topic ready to be studied, which we would have already chosen, instead of having to hold a subcommittee meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Any additional suggestions from any of the committee members of work that you might like to start should be sent over to the clerk. At the first opportunity that we have we will have a meeting of the subcommittee.

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

Me too, I would like to propose a motion concerning a topic of study. Is this the right time?