Evidence of meeting #84 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 ukraine.
A video is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Where is the motion? Was it sent by email?
I have not received a notification.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
The clerk has sent it.
It would be helpful for some of us if we always had them in paper copy. I'm sure next time we will.
Bloc
Liberal
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Yes. I'll start again.
This is an amendment to clause 40, which currently reads, “Subject to subsection (2), this Act comes into force on a day to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.” My amendment would add to it the following: “after all references to carbon pricing and carbon leakage have been removed from the modernized Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement”.
What we know is that carbon taxes in Canada have caused enormous misery for Canadians. We have seen just recently that 800,000 Ontarians are now going to the food bank as a result of the carbon tax causing massive increases in food prices. Canadians are suffering deeply as a result of the carbon tax here in Canada.
We do not know why carbon pricing and carbon leakage were included for the first time ever in a Canadian free trade agreement. It's not in a single free trade agreement that Canada has. It's not in our free trade agreement with the United States and it's not in CPTPP. It's not in free trade with the European Union.
I've also been advised that any attempts to include this kind of language with countries we're currently negotiating with, for example Indonesia and others, is a non-starter. It's not happening.
This is something that the Prime Minister has asked to be included in this trade agreement as he pursues his ideological agenda on carbon pricing, carbon taxes and carbon leakage, which is doing long-standing damage to the Canadian economy and to Canadians.
Liberals say they want unity on this. If this amendment were to pass and these references were removed, they would have unanimous support for this free trade agreement. Our objection is to putting the kinds of things into free trade agreements that should not be there, that have never been there, and that cause harm, not good.
We've tried to improve the free trade agreement by adding sections on munitions, munitions production, energy security, etc. This would complete what should be done, which is removing that.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Thank you very much. Thank you for introducing that.
My ruling on your amendment to clause 40 is that your amendment attempts to add a condition regarding when the bill comes into force. As House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states on pages 773 and 774:
An amendment intended to alter the coming into force clause of a bill, making it conditional, is out of order since it exceeds the scope of the bill and attempts to introduce a new question into it.
It is my opinion that the amendment is a new concept that is beyond the scope of the bill; therefore, the amendment is inadmissible.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Madam Chair, not surprisingly, I'm going to challenge the chair's ruling on that.
I have a good feeling this time.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Before we vote on your ruling, I would like to ask you a question, Madam Chair.
I haven't looked into this myself, but how is it that, in the case of an agreement between Canada and Colombia, an amendment was made to delay its coming into force until the situation in Colombia was resolved?
Can you explain to me how that works procedurally?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I'm sorry, Mr. Savard-Tremblay; it's not subject to debate. I've made the ruling that it is inadmissible.
The mover has asked for a recorded vote on whether the ruling of the chair should be sustained.
(Ruling of the chair sustained: yeas 6; nays 5)
(Clause 40 agreed to on division)
All right. We'll see if we can get a little bit further here.
Shall the short title carry?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Shall the bill as amended carry?
(Bill C-57 as amended agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)
Shall the chair report the bill as amended to the House?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Shall the chair order a reprint of the bill as amended for the use of the House at report stage?
November 28th, 2023 / 12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Okay, it's a new matter.
We have completed Bill C-57. Thank you very much. In spite of all the challenges, we managed to get here.
Go ahead, Mr. Sheehan.
Liberal
Terry Sheehan Liberal Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I have submitted to the clerk the following motion, which I will read. It will be distributed in both official languages.
I move that:
Whereas Canada is not imposing a price on pollution on Ukraine;
Whereas Ukraine already has a carbon pricing system;
Whereas Ukraine is a sovereign nation and, via President Zelenskyy, has signed the modernized Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement;
Therefore, the Standing Committee on International Trade supports Bill C-57, the 2023 Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.
Madam Chair, as I motivate this, I want to draw it to everyone's attention. There has been a lot said here. Ukraine has had a price on pollution for well over a decade, since 2011. Ukraine is fighting this illegal, unjust invasion by Russia. They're fighting for their people today. They're fighting for their children tomorrow. At the same time, President Zelenskyy came here and signed this CUFTA agreement, which has a price on pollution that fights climate change. It fights climate change today. It fights climate change for the children of Ukraine and the children of the world. Canada stands with Ukraine. We ought to stand with them.
That is why this motion is tremendously important. It demonstrates, underlines and highlights the importance of the fight against climate change and—