House of Commons Hansard #320 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was cptpp.

Topics

Trans Mountain Expansion ProjectRequest for Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

10:20 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I have notice of a request for an emergency debate.

The hon. member for Lakeland.

Trans Mountain Expansion ProjectRequest for Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 52, I am requesting an emergency debate on the Trans Mountain expansion project. On April 16, the House did convene an emergency debate on Trans Mountain which was granted because thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of investment were at risk, but today thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of investment in Canada and the Trans Mountain expansion itself all remain at risk.

There are two new developments that warrant Parliament convening another emergency debate. The first is the federal government's purchase of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline. Construction is stalled indefinitely, costs are increasing and Canadian taxpayers deserve answers as to how and when the expansion of the pipeline they now own will be built. The government was forced to take over the expansion because the Liberals failed to provide certainty that construction could proceed even though they promised legislation in the spring that they failed to deliver. The second development was the Federal Court of Appeal ruling that the Liberals failed to adequately consult first nations on the expansion.

Thousands of workers had jobs that they were about to start but which disappeared overnight. For almost three weeks these laid-off workers have been questioning if they should wait for work to resume or if they should find alternative employment. To date, the federal government has yet to announce a plan for how it will either fulfill the requirements of the Federal Court of Appeal and/or ensure the expansion can proceed through other means. The Liberals have delivered no plan at all.

Last week, Minister Sohi said it would be a matter of days before the plan was released—

Trans Mountain Expansion ProjectRequest for Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

10:20 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. I think the hon. member for Lakeland is aware that we do not refer to members by their names. She is referring to a letter, but one must remember to make the adjustments when one is making a presentation in the House.

The hon. member for Lakeland.

Trans Mountain Expansion ProjectRequest for Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB

Mr. Speaker, I apologize for that.

I took the minister at his word and I did wait for the first day of the fall session for him to come forward with those details, but what happened, unfortunately, was yet another delay. Instead of coming forward with his plan to support Canada's energy sector and the livelihoods of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who depend on it, the minister stated that it could be a week before a plan is unveiled and a month before action is taken. Canadian families cannot wait that long and for the workers affected, every day counts and every day damages Canada's reputation as a stable and predictable place for investment.

An emergency debate is needed to get the answers that Canadians deserve. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for your consideration of this request.

Trans Mountain Expansion ProjectRequest for Emergency DebateRoutine Proceedings

10:20 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I thank the hon. member for Lakeland for her arguments and for her request for an emergency debate; however, I do not find that it meets the exigencies of the standing order.

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:20 a.m.

Waterloo Ontario

Liberal

Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, an agreement has been reached between a majority of the representatives of the recognized parties under the provisions of Standing Order 78(2) with respect to the second reading stage of Bill C-79, an act to implement the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership between Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Therefore, I move:

That, in relation to Bill C-79, An Act to implement the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership between Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted to the consideration at second reading stage of the Bill; and

That, fifteen minutes before the expiry of the time provided for Government Orders on the day allotted to the consideration of the second reading stage of the said bill, any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this Order, and in turn every question necessary for the disposal of the stage of the bill then under consideration shall be put forthwith and successively without further debate or amendment.

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:20 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I would ask the hon. government House leader to indicate who is seconding her motion.

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:20 a.m.

Liberal

Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is seconded by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

All those opposed will please say nay.

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Bill C-79—Time Allocation MotionComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

In my opinion the yeas have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #881

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from September 17 consideration of the motion that Bill C-79, an act to implement the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership between Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, be read the second time and referred to a committee, and of the amendment.

Second ReadingComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, as I have the opportunity to speak to Bill C-79 today, I would like to extend my best wishes to people in Edmonton Centre, who are braving the snow and looking forward to a sunny fall before the snow actually stays for the winter.

I will be sharing my time with my esteemed colleague from Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. We are beginning the debate on Bill C-79.

Our government strongly believes that the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership, or CPTPP, is the best deal for Canadians and for our economy. The CPTPP is a historic new agreement between Canada and 10 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, namely Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Once it comes into effect, the CPTPP will constitute one of the largest trading blocs in the world, representing close to 500 million people and 13.5% of global GDP. The agreement will generate major economic benefits for Canada thanks to trade with countries like Japan, our fourth-largest trading partner and top source of investment from Asia, and with fast-growing economies like Malaysia and Vietnam.

Today, I would like to speak to how the CPTPP will facilitate foreign investment into Canada and provide protections for Canadians looking to invest in CPTPP markets. Investment at home and abroad is vital for the Canadian economy. Foreign investment contributes to job creation across the country. It also promotes trade by facilitating integration into global value chains, improving access to new technologies and enhancing our competitiveness.

According to economic modelling by Global Affairs Canada, the CPTPP will spur an additional 810 million dollars' worth of investment into Canada, and will encourage increased and diversified Canadian investment throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It will achieve this by creating a predictable investment environment to ensure that investors are treated in a fair and equitable manner in all CPTPP markets. If a company is going to invest its capital abroad, it needs to know that capital is safe and secure and is going to provide a return on investment.

The CPTPP will establish a comprehensive and enforceable set of investment protection provisions. It will provide new, more robust obligations on non-discriminatory treatment of CPTPP businesses and investors. These will benefit Canadian businesses through better protection from expropriation or nationalization without compensation, elimination of unfair requirements on foreign investments that favour domestic industries, and easier transfer of capital and profits to and from the host country.

To ensure that these obligations are observed by all member countries, the CPTPP also introduces and includes a fair and impartial mechanism for the resolution of disputes. Investor-state dispute settlement, or ISDS, is an important component of international trade and investment agreements. With an ISDS mechanism in place, Canadian investors will have greater confidence that they will be treated in a fair and transparent manner in other CPTPP markets. It will also provide an impartial means to resolve any investment-related disputes in the event that specific obligations under the CPTPP are breached by a government. Such protections will help facilitate two-way investment by providing a transparent and predictable investment-friendly environment.

The agreement, once implemented, will encourage Canadian companies to look to fast-growing markets across the CPTPP region to grow their businesses. It will encourage investment in Canada and CPTPP countries. It will also connect Canadians with partner investors and businesses in new markets, and help our businesses further integrate into global supply chains. In doing so, it will create new opportunities and generate jobs for Canada.

It is important to emphasize that while the CPTPP's ISDS rules will help protect Canadian investors abroad and serve to attract foreign investment to Canada, the rules outlined in the CPTPP will also preserve the Government of Canada's right to regulate to achieve legitimate policy objectives. Under the CPTPP, Canada has taken certain exemptions to CPTPP obligations that allow continued policy flexibility to regulate in the public interest in sensitive areas such as health, education, indigenous affairs, culture, fisheries and certain transportation services.

Foreign investors in Canada and all the other CPTPP nations will be required to follow the same laws and regulations as Canadian investors, including laws and regulations aimed at protecting the environment and maintaining high workplace health and safety standards.

The investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, or ISDS, gives investors a way to resolve disputes without resorting to the national justice system of the host nation, but it is not a blank cheque. Damages could only be recovered if specific requirements under the agreement were violated. The ISDS tribunals would never have the power to nullify government decisions or laws. They would only be authorized to grant investors compensation for damages resulting from violations of the treaty.

By suspending certain ISDS provisions that were included in the original TPP, the CPTPP ensures that the ISDS complies with Canada's standard, balanced approach to investment obligations in free trade agreements.

This reflects the concerns that were heard from Canadians through extensive consultations, and I am proud to say that the CPTPP gets ISDS right.

To reiterate, CPTPP will not prevent Canada from protecting the environment or maintaining or enhancing labour, health, and safety standards. In short, it will allow us to continue promoting the values that Canadians cherish, which are the values that make us Canadian.

I would like to highlight for residents of Edmonton Centre, and for all Albertans, that this CPTPP is one of the most comprehensive trade agreements that our country will enter into. It comprises 11 countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Once approved, it will open up a market of an additional 500 million consumers, resulting in 40% of the world economy being able to trade with us when we add in CETA, NAFTA and South Korea. This demonstrates our commitment to opening up new markets. It is an important agreement because it will eliminate over 95% of tariff lines, representing over 98% of total trade and over 99% of Canada's exports.

I want to highlight the importance of this for Alberta industry and Edmonton companies. Let us take a look at the agriculture provision.

When CPTPP enters into force, more than three-quarters of agriculture and agri-food products will benefit from immediate duty-free treatment, with tariffs on many other products to be phased out gradually. This means new market access opportunities for Canadian pork, beef, pulses, fruit and vegetables, malt, grains, cereals, animal feeds, maple syrup, wines and spirits, and then processed grain and pulse products as well. All of these products hail from my province of Alberta.

Let us take a look at industrial goods. Under the agreement, 100% of tariffs on industrial goods and consumer products will be eliminated. The majority of Canadian industrial goods exported to CPTPP countries will be duty-free immediately upon the entry into force of the agreement, with most remaining tariffs on industrial goods to be eliminated within 10 years. That is also good for Alberta and Edmonton businesses.

On forestry and value-added wood products, CPTPP will eliminate tariffs on all Canadian exports of forestry and value-added wood products. Many will enter into force immediately, while others will be phased out over 15 years.

With regard to services, our economy is diversifying in Alberta. Many companies in my own city of Edmonton will love the provision in CPTPP that will provide more secure access through greater transparency and predictability in the dynamic CPTPP region.

I would like us to think about professional sectors like engineering, architecture and those related to environment and mining. My riding of Edmonton Centre alone is headquarters to the seventh-largest engineering and design firm in the world, Stantec, and one of the world's largest construction companies, Poole Construction Limited, known as PCL. This is the kind of free trade deal that allows these companies, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, to continue expanding around the world.

In terms of government procurement, this agreement will provide more transparency and opportunity for companies in my hometown of Morinville, in St. Albert and in Edmonton to compete on the global stage. It is what we promised Canadians during the campaign. It is what our government has been doing. It is what we will continue to do: opening up markets, creating jobs, and growing the Canadian economy.

Second ReadingComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

11:15 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a question about what is not in this deal. This deal looks like it was maybe drafted in the 1990s. There is no mention of climate action and no mention of sustainable development. It contains very dated environmental measures. It completely derogates from the strong measures in the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation. There is no council of ministers, and no right of the public to petition on a complaint of failed enforcement. It fails to recognize the rights in Canadian law for citizens to file environmental actions.

The member and his government always say the environment can go hand in glove with economic development and trade. Why then is it accepting downgraded measures that were put in place decades ago in the NAFTA agreement?

Second ReadingComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, as our government has said and will continue to say, the environment and the economy go hand in hand. That is why we have worked hard with member nations in this agreement and in others to ensure high environmental standards. In the case of CPTPP, as I mentioned, there are exemptions in Canada for culture, labour and environmental considerations.

As it pertains to this agreement, this is about opening up markets to half a billion of the world's consumers and making sure Canadian businesses can compete on the global stage.

We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously here at home and abroad, and we will continue to do so.

Second ReadingComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

11:20 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Mr. Speaker, as we settle back into our roles here in the House, I thank my colleague for his pointed and passionate speech, which is reminiscent of the speeches he made over the past three years.

I would like my colleague to expand on the CPTTP. Canada is getting $4.8 billion in GDP per year from it. This is enormous. He knows, as I do, that Canada is one of the richest countries in the world when it comes to natural resources. This is a major agreement that would benefit Canadians from coast to coast to coast. I would like him to share how he sees the different industries in Canada benefiting from the agreement and how the middle class would benefit from jobs, opportunities and access to markets.

Second ReadingComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

11:20 a.m.

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his passion, which has not diminished over three years. It is an important opportunity to mention that all of the provisions of the CPTPP would benefit small and medium-sized enterprises. We know they represent well over 95% of businesses and job creation in the country.

The fish and seafood provision alone would eliminate 100% of tariffs on Canadian fish and seafood products. We know what that means to fishers coast to coast to coast who are trying to export their goods around the world. CPTPP is good for them and middle-class families.

Second ReadingComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

11:20 a.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

Mr. Speaker, we wanted to have an emergency session in July on Bill C-79, but the government refused our proposal. Why?

Second ReadingComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation ActGovernment Orders

11:20 a.m.

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, the answer is simple: we are debating the CPTPP now. It is good for Canadians, for the middle class, for economic growth and for job creation. We are doing the work today. That is what we promised and what we are going to do.