House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 43% of the vote.
International Trade February 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we signed the agreement precisely to give us the time to look at the accord, to look at the treaty in depth, to study it, to get the proper studies done, to do this work through our parliamentary committee. It is ratification that is important. We have not taken a decision on ratification yet. We signed it in order to give us the time to look at this treaty properly.
International Trade February 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, it is true that the previous government negotiated this accord in secret, but it is also true that the hon. member for Outremont decided not to support the agreement without even having read it.
We promised the Canadian public during the election that we would study the agreement and we would look at all aspects of the agreement in depth, and that is precisely what we have done and what we are going to continue to do.
International Trade February 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Outremont for his question.
We will study the impact of the TPP. That is what we have been doing by holding consultations since October 19, as we did during the election campaign, and that is what we will continue to do by means of the Standing Committee on International Trade here in Parliament. The important thing is whether we ratify the agreement. Signing it does not mean much; ratifying it does. We will make that decision after we study the agreement.
International Trade February 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Outremont for his question.
Parliament will have an opportunity to study the TPP by means of a parliamentary committee, and there will be consultations with Canadians. We will certainly examine the impact on various sectors, and we will look not only at the challenges, but also at the solutions should we decide to ratify the agreement.
International Trade February 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we are going to sign the agreement to give ourselves time to examine it. The agreement is very complex. Obviously, consultations have been held. Some people support this agreement and others do not.
We are going to hold consultations, including in committee, and Parliament will have the last word.
International Trade February 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the signing of the TPP is a technical step. The real important moment is the date of ratification.
Before that decision is made, we will put this matter to Parliament. A parliamentary committee will study it, Canadians across the country will have a chance to pronounce on it, and we will undertake expert opinion. Therefore, we are doing precisely what we promised, which is to study the accord properly before ratifying it.
International Trade February 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Outremont for his question. The TPP, the trans-Pacific partnership, landed in our laps late in the election campaign. We have acted very responsibly. We said that we will study the agreement, and that is exactly what we are going to do. We need to do studies and consult Canadians all across the country. That is exactly what we are doing.
International Trade February 2nd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we are looking at all of these matters precisely because we promised Canadians that we would consult on the TPP. We are signing the agreement precisely to give us time, in order to put the TPP before Parliament for it to be studied in committee. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we are doing.
International Trade February 1st, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the TPP was negotiated in secret by the previous government. The NDP criticized that treaty without even having read it. We promised during the course of the election campaign that we would study it. We are signing the agreement precisely to study it.
We have consulted Canadians already. We will continue to consult through parliamentary processes. That is precisely the point of consulting Canadians.
Forestry Industry January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber dispute between Canada and the United States is a priority for our government. It is a question that has been raised at the very highest levels. We are consulting stakeholders. We are consulting the provinces. The minister has met with Premier Christy Clark of British Columbia. The Prime Minister and the minister have had conversations with their counterparts in the United States. We will do our best to ensure that there is softwood access to the American market.