Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2002 annual report of Export Development Canada, which is entitled “Canada’s Bridge to Global Trade and Investment”.
Lost his last election, in 2006, with 38% of the vote.
Export Development Canada April 9th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2002 annual report of Export Development Canada, which is entitled “Canada’s Bridge to Global Trade and Investment”.
International Trade April 9th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, we have indeed received a number of recommendations and these of course involved four ministers, since they involve four departments. We are looking at the recommendations proposed to us. There are economic and legal implications. As well, international obligations must also be taken into consideration.
I can assure you that the work we are doing has a serious impact on the future of supply management, which is something we as a government have committed to and consider very important. We are therefore taking all the major international negotiations we are involved in at the present time into consideration.
International Trade April 9th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely no connection between these two things. As far as the cheese sticks were concerned, it was a matter of ministerial import permits issued to allow imports in excess of the allowed quotas.
In the case of the butter oils, the hon. member is well aware that this matter has already gone before the courts, and that we lost.
We are working with industry to find a solution and to use the recommendations made to us to determine what would be the best way to gauge how much harm has been done to the Canadian industry. We are going to work in conjunction with that industry.
Dairy Substitute Imports April 8th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, as I have just said, this butter oil issue is precisely one of those we have been looking into.
The United States is not the only one involved. Obviously, some of the product comes from New Zealand and some from other countries. But it is covered by a tariff line negotiated at the time. We have already gone before the international tribunal with this, and lost, a few years ago.
We are currently reviewing our options. We have been given some recommendations and are looking at them at the present time. We shall be adopting one of the recommendations shortly.
Dairy Substitute Imports April 8th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, this is a matter on which we have worked hard since the caucus meeting last August.
The four ministers involved have addressed the matter, and we have determined, acting on recommendations from departmental staff, that the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and myself should reflect on the matter and gauge the potential legal impacts of any decision.
Our recommendations, once determined, will be made known shortly, directly to the dairy producers.
Softwood Lumber April 7th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, let me be clear that our government has always pursued a two track approach. We are absolutely free in this country to pursue the forestry practices we want in our own country according to our own sovereignty. We will win before the courts at the WTO and NAFTA.
However, the British Columbia government of Mr. Campbell was elected last time with its own plan of changes for forestry management practices. He was elected with the mandate of doing that. It is the sovereignty of the British Columbia legislature that will adopt the changes promoted by a government elected on that platform.
Agriculture April 3rd, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I do not think the member has been following very closely the role that Canada has been playing at the WTO, whether it was at the last ministerial in Doha, Qatar, where everyone commended Canada's contribution to the successful launch of a round.
We have been leading since Seattle all efforts that have been made on the implementation working group. We have been contributing to the transparency of the WTO, giving a lot more credibility to the whole trade negotiations around the world. Canada is a leading country.
Last week we tabled our services offer in all transparency. We are active and proud at the--
Agriculture April 3rd, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the member just does not have his facts right on this issue. We did not reject the Harbinson modalities. Some parties in the House were asking us to reject them and we did not.
We continued to promote Canada's interest. We want major, serious reform in the international trade routes for agriculture. We want the elimination of export subsidies. We want a substantial reduction in the production subsidies and the domestic subsidies. That is our agenda and we will pursue it at the WTO.
World Trade Organization March 31st, 2003
Mr. Speaker, today, after consulting extensively with the provincial governments and with all Canadians, we tabled our initial offer in Geneva. As promised last June, the government has posted the initial offer on our website for all Canadians to read.
I am very proud to inform the House that some of Canada's closest trading partners, including the United States, Australia and the European Union, have now agreed to follow our lead and release their own initial offers.
We are committed to an open and transparent approach to these negotiations to ensure that Canadians remain the best informed citizens in the world.
Agriculture March 27th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, indeed, when we were in Chicoutimi, the Minister of Agriculture and I set up a working group with dairy producers and supply management officials.
Our officials worked together and, last week, they submitted to the Minister of Agriculture and myself a report which we have reviewed. A number of possibilities are being examined. These are rather complex issues, and we have to look at the legal impact of any scenario that we may adopt.
Therefore, we will follow up on this request in the coming weeks.