House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2004, with 38% of the vote.
Softwood Lumber April 22nd, 2002
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear the government does not want to take precipitous action in this regard. It is consulting very widely with the industry. It is consulting with all the provinces. It keeps an open mind. All options are open.
It may be that existing programs will not be sufficient and that further action will have to be taken. The last thing we would want to do is make a wrong mistake quickly.
Trade April 19th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, as the member noted, the next ministerial trade trip will go to Mexico from June 3 to June 7. He mentioned the fast growth in trade with Mexico. Mexico is indeed our sixth biggest export market. Since NAFTA, it has more than doubled, to $2.5 billion in 2001.
The member for Malpeque mentioned a trouble spot in our trade with Mexico. It is important that we recognize that. The purpose of this trip is to increase our trade with Mexico and to make sure it becomes even fairer.
Trade April 17th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, India has the twelfth largest economy in the world. It has had a 30% growth in its GDP over the past five years, so obviously it is a very important market for Canada.
A hundred companies are part of this trip, with some 130 delegates, which makes it the largest ministerial trade trip ever. We will be highlighting such Canadian sectors as agrifood, building products and services, education, environment, financial services and IT, to mention some of them.
Softwood Lumber March 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I have no idea where my hon. friend would get that impression. The fact of the matter is, I repeat, that the government will not sign what it considers to be a bad deal.
The long term goal remains exactly the same. We will not have a deal that does not guarantee unfettered open access for Canadian softwood lumber to the American market. That was, is and will continue to be our position.
Softwood Lumber March 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, discussions went on through the night last night in Washington and negotiations have resumed. Our negotiating team is sparing absolutely no effort to find an agreement.
I can assure the hon. member, the House and all Canadians that the government simply will not sign a bad deal just to have a deal.
Lumber March 20th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Trade met this morning with Secretary of Commerce Evans in Washington. He is personally in charge of the negotiations. We are very hopeful that there will be a successful deal.
As the Deputy Prime Minister noted, even with the biased referee in the women's hockey we won the gold medal, and if necessary we will win the gold medal again in softwood lumber at the WTO.
Lumber March 20th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, of course it is so. When the softwood lumber agreement ran out a year ago we then had free trade in softwood lumber, and if the United States had not taken its very punitive and petty action against Canada we would have softwood lumber free trade right now and the member would not even be posing his question.
Of course that is the long term goal, but I do not think there is any point in speculating. The minister is there, he is personally in charge of the negotiations and we are very hopeful that we will have a successful conclusion.
Softwood Lumber March 20th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Trade is in Washington to take stock personally of the negotiations. He has met with the team Canada negotiators. The consensus remains very strong. They are sparing no effort to agree on a good long term deal and that will mean guaranteed market access for Canadian softwood lumber to the United States.
Softwood Lumber March 15th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister again had an opportunity to raise this important trade dispute with the president of the United States as he has been doing consistently for the last year.
The minister and the Prime Minister have been clear. No deal will be acceptable to Canadians long term that does not guarantee us unfettered, open access to the American market in softwood lumber.
Softwood Lumber March 15th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, let me wish all Canadians a happy St. Patrick's Day on Sunday. The government had absolutely no problem in endorsing the motion yesterday. We congratulate the member for it. We are pleased to finally have him on side with what has been the policy and the efforts of the government for the past two years.