Evidence of meeting #130 for International Trade in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cbam.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
NDP
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Wednesday is fine, because we also have a notice of motion from Mr. Williams. We'll deal with both of them on Wednesday afternoon at committee business.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
The interpreters said they had not received the motion. We received it, however. It was therefore sent out.
When written motions are submitted, it's important to pass them on to the interpreters.
Liberal
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I agree with my colleague from the Bloc Québécois. I apologize to the interpreters for that document not being present and readily available for our francophone speakers here. I'm sorry about that.
This is my final question, I suppose. I know we'll have a couple more meetings on this. It's related to a question that Mr. Arya had posed, which was about the complex nature of trying to impose such a framework internationally.
What is the number one barrier to creating such a framework?
Director General, International Economic Policy Planning and Horizontal Issues Division, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
I don't know if I would be in a position to comment on the number one barrier.
One of the factors is certainly the fact that different carbon pricing approaches exist in different countries. The sectors that different countries are considering focusing the CBAMs on may be different. For example, the sectors that Australia might consider might be different from the EU ones. It's really an alignment of approaches.
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Wonderful.
In relation to that model, I'm certain that one of the greatest issues would be relative to major countries increasing their carbon pricing at different rates. I'm certain that, in addition to your question about models, there's also a greater complexity when it comes to when those rates change or when those rates are imposed. That alone would create a significant barrier, I'd imagine, which is probably why you were coming to this in your opening statement, speaking to the administrative concern or the administrative burden of such a project.
Is that correct?
Director General, International Economic Policy Planning and Horizontal Issues Division, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Yes. There's also the issue of how it's calculated. There are a number of considerations that play into the challenges posed by interoperability.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Thank you very much.
I'm sorry. Your time is up.
I'm moving on to Mr. Jeneroux for four minutes, please.
Conservative
Matt Jeneroux Conservative Edmonton Riverbend, AB
Thanks, Madam Chair.
I'm hoping to get back to Mr. Mosier.
You mentioned something earlier today in answer to one of my colleague's questions. Consultation was started in August 2021. Is that correct? There's no document, so to speak, of those consultations. You have shared some of that with us. I guess my question is, why isn't there a document on what happened in those consultations?
Director, International Trade Policy Division, Department of Finance
I can't speak to all consultations. Sometimes the government produces a document, when it makes sense. In this case, I think it didn't make sense from the government's perspective. There were a lot of concerns raised on both sides, and it really went into the analysis that has been ongoing. We spoke today about some of the concerns with respect to some of our trade partners, but beyond that, I can't answer your question specifically.
Conservative
Matt Jeneroux Conservative Edmonton Riverbend, AB
I guess I'm still confused, because they're public consultations, so to speak. Is that correct?
Conservative
Matt Jeneroux Conservative Edmonton Riverbend, AB
They're public consultations, where people come in and tell the government their opinions on things. Maybe it doesn't work as well as they thought it would, and then suddenly, there's just nothing that we get to see.
You're in front of us, so I'm putting you on the spot. Was this a direction at some point, saying, “Well, let's just not share this information”?
Director, International Trade Policy Division, Department of Finance
Not that I'm aware of.
I don't have more information, to be honest, to answer your question. I'm sorry.
December 2nd, 2024 / 12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Matt Jeneroux Conservative Edmonton Riverbend, AB
Okay. Presumably there's something there. Somebody wrote something down. Something is sitting somewhere, and I guess that would be important for this committee to know and to have, because at the end of the day, that is essentially what we're trying to get to the bottom of.
I don't know, Madam Chair, if we have the ability to ask them to send us documents, but this certainly seems like something we should probably have access to at the end of the day.
Mr. Mosier, I'll ask you nicely. Can you please send something back to the committee, without us going through the necessary forcing of the documents to be here? It just seems mind-boggling that there's nothing available right now.