Gerald Keddy

[Foreign Investment, March 7th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for her interest in this subject, and I wish her good luck in maybe reaching a better understanding of it.

I know that she is new to this House and may not be aware that prior to our forming government in 2006, treaties such as the FIPA with China were never brought to this place. There was no opportunity to debate them. There was no discussion about them. I think it was around 2007 that we brought in the rule that treaties would be tabled in the House of Commons for 21 sitting days. Of course, the hon. member did not take advantage of those 21 days. Unfortunately, her party is not large enough to take advantage of those 21 days to force debate. The official opposition did not take advantage of that opportunity to force debate on this issue, and the Liberal Party of Canada did not take the opportunity to force debate on this issue.

What we have, quite frankly, is a whole lot of innuendo, rumour and some misinformation, although I will be fair to the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands. She has not come anywhere near the rumour and innuendo the NDP have put onto this issue.

The principle of a FIPA, or the Canada-China Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement, is to make sure that Canadian investments in China are protected and that there is reciprocity so that Chinese investments in Canada are protected. The member was quite right when she said that it is over a 15-year period and that at the end of that period, either side, either China or Canada, can opt out of it.

Obviously, those investments already made need some longevity and protection, so another 15 years for those investments that have already been made is not untoward or unreasonable. I suspect, with the hon. member's background as a lawyer, that she probably wrote a number of agreements similar to that herself in the past.

This is about giving Canadian companies investing in China the same rights and privileges a Chinese company would have. This is about protecting Canadian foreign direct investment in China. We cannot do that without allowing those same rights and privileges to the Chinese. It is called reciprocity. It is called fairness. It is called reasonable, rules-based trading.

I appreciate that the hon. member did not go along with the fear mongering of the NDP. This treaty in no way impedes Canada's ability to regulate and legislate on such areas as the environment, culture, safety, health and conservation, which is another thing that needs to be brought up.

What this does is establish a clear set of rules for trading and investment between Canada and China. It promotes trade, helps the Canadian economy, and provides jobs and opportunities for Canadian workers. It is a good agreement.

[International Trade, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the question has still not been answered. With 350 cases brought against Canada, how many have been successful?

Surely the member does not think the Mobil Oil case in Newfoundland is a proper example. The Newfoundland government had 4% of the shares in Mobil Oil, which prevented it from having a seat on the board. The Newfoundland government wanted 5%, which would have given it a seat on the board. I can understand the government of Newfoundland wanting that. However, one cannot change a written agreement in the country without both parties agreeing to it.

Therefore, arbitrary action on behalf of one party, whether for the good of that party or not, which is yet to be decided, has to be agreed to by both sides. In the case of Newfoundland, it was not agreed to. It went to court and Newfoundland got its seat, but it also lost its case.

[International Trade, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing in the FIPA or any of the free trade agreements that prevents Canadians, the federal government, provincial governments and municipalities from making economic, social or environmental policy to suit themselves. I have responded to the member many times on this subject.

It is hard to combat rumours, innuendoes, half-truths and misleading statements. As a great example, the hon. member himself said something about folks who are generally supportive of free trade. What is that? What does that mean? That is some kind of great half-legalese speak craziness. No one really knows. Who are those people? We have heard time and time again from the NDP about claims against Canada by the United States or Mexico. How many claims have there been against Canada? We have not heard that number. Another number we have not heard is how many have been successful.

We are a trading nation that needs clear, solid, unequivocal rules to trade by. Part of that is negotiating free trade agreements around the world. Part of that will be the final stages of the CETA, the comprehensive economic trade agreement with the European Union that the hon. member discussed. He discussed some of the challenges in a negotiation that has not yet been completed. However, what he does not say is that there is a 20% increase expected in Canadian trade that is expected to bring $12 billion to the Canadian economy. In order to do that, we need clear parameters on investment. We need surety for Canadian investors abroad and for foreign investors in Canada.

Let us take a look at the fearmongering and the record of the NDP. Let us talk about protection against discrimination in the marketplace and how to do that. We do that with foreign investment promotion and protection agreements. We do that with investor state provisions. That is how we do it. There is no guesswork. There is no tying it up in the courts for years and years at a time. There is an arbitration process, and the issue is settled.

The former NDP critic from Windsor West said he supports the efforts of big union bosses to stop any future trade negotiations with Korea, Japan and the European Union because apparently it affects some people who are NDP supporters. The former NDP trade critic from Dartmouth—Cole Harbour described the free trade agreements as “job-destroying”. Another former trade critic, the member for Burnaby—New Westminster, said that free trade has “cost Canadians dearly”. That should be explained.

Let us have a reasonable, rational debate about this, and hopefully soon, but let us not speak in innuendo, rumours and half-truths.

[Privilege, March 6th, 2013]

That's good. That's fantastic.

[Business of Supply, March 5th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I listened, somewhat, to the member's speech, and the mistakes in it. I would like to thank him now for the extra seat in Prince Edward Island. Hopefully it will be a Conservative seat. He should perhaps check on who is doing the research.

I have listened to many NDP speakers talk about that nasty unelected Senate, how people run for office and happen to lose and then get appointed to the Senate. That is the sin of all sins; that is the evil of all evils. However, that is the party that wants proportional representation in this place. If an individual runs for Parliament and gets defeated but the party has 30% of the vote, if they get five more members, they are appointed to the House of Commons instead of elected. What a bunch of hypocrites. Good Lord.

[Foreign Investment, February 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps my hon. colleague is correct in that at least one of us is responding to the wrong question, but the question that was on the order paper was on the FIPA, not on the CNOOC-Nexen deal. Therefore, I answered part of his question on CNOOC-Nexen just to set the record straight. However, the order paper question was on the FIPA.

The FIPA with China is important for the future of the country. It is tremendously important for our relationship with China, this huge emerging economy that is going to be a marketplace for Canadian exports and for manufactured goods, for raw materials and for resources. This is a tremendous opportunity.

I appreciate that the hon. member is not suggesting we should not trade with China because the New Democrats suggest that very thing. They look at China with its huge population and tremendous demand for resources and some of the largest reserves of foreign currency in the world and say that we should not trade with it, which is absolutely wrong. At least my hon. colleague from the Liberal Party understands that trade is important.

[Foreign Investment, February 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to my hon. colleague from the Liberal Party and I welcome him to the file. I thank him for his interest in international trade and in particular for his interest in foreign investment in Canada, something very important for the future of our country, and in particular the CNOOC-Nexen deal, which certainly did raise a lot of interest. I think the government handled it as well as any government could.

We look at foreign investment with a different opinion, quite frankly, than the former Liberal government had during the hon. member's time in government. Not one single foreign investment deal was turned down by the Liberal government. That is certainly not the record of the Conservative government.

I know my hon. colleague follows politics, but he got a little mixed up on the Ouija board, because that was actually Mackenzie King. When he was not using the Ouija board, he was talking to his dog, which was another Liberal Prime Minister.

In all seriousness, foreign investment in Canada is important. It is important to the future of the country. It is important that we do it correctly. I disagree with the hon. member's opinion on whether or not we are doing it correctly.

I want to talk a little about Canadian opportunities for growth, expansion and foreign investment. Much of that investment will come from China or from the Asia-Pacific Rim, and it certainly would be the wrong signal to send if we turned that investment away with the first big deal that China was going to make.

The other issue the hon. member wants to ignore is the fact that we have managed to sign a FIPA with China, one of 24 FIPAs that we have signed. That is something his government was not able to do in its time in office and something we were able to do to protect Canadian investment in China and give our companies the same rules and the same protections that Chinese investors automatically have in Canada. We have a clear set of rules for investment in both directions.

That is just with China. We have 23 other FIPAs with other countries to make sure Canadian investment abroad is protected and to encourage a clear set of ground rules for investment in Canada. To back that up, we have the Investment Canada Act.

The rules are clear, but we need to look at the opportunity not only for Chinese investment in Canada, but for Canadians investing in China. Canadian goods and exports rose by 15% last year to $19 billion. Not only that: our exports to China have nearly doubled under our Conservative government. A 15% increase in exports to any one country is tremendous. It is a huge asset to our workers and our manufacturers, and there are tax dollars generated through that trade.

We are looking at dynamic, high-growth markets, not just in China, but in other countries—in India, all the BRIC nations and the Pacific Rim countries, the mature economies like Japan and the growing economies like Vietnam, as well as other mature economies like South Korea and other growing economies like Indonesia and those countries that will continue to grow and continue to offer opportunity for Canadian businesses.

[Miss Ally, February 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the seas of the North Atlantic have always been inherently dangerous for those who work upon them. Every south shore fishing community knows this first-hand, and all have experienced the sorrow and heartache of losing loved ones. However, that did not make the burden of grief any lighter when on Sunday, February 17, the halibut fishing boat Miss Ally and all hands were lost.

Captain Katlin Nickerson, Tyson Townsend, Billy Jack Hatfield, Cole Nickerson and Joel Hopkins were young men with young families and experienced and able fishermen.

I would take a moment to recognize the tremendous efforts of the local volunteers who assisted in the recovery attempt and the men and women of the joint rescue coordination centre in Halifax, the Canadian armed forces, the Coast Guard, search and rescue, and the RCMP, all of whom have been moved by this tragic loss.

To the immediate and extended families of the lost fishermen and their communities, on behalf of all members of this House, we extend our prayers and our deepest condolences.

[Foreign Investment, February 12th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I will sum up and maybe make a few small corrections at the beginning. Of course, Canada's environmental regulatory regime is always protected in every agreement we sign, and it often is enhanced. The Investment Canada Act is there to protect Canadian resources and Canadians, quite frankly. It does not allow for environmental degradation. It does not allow any foreign entity, from any country, to somehow go around the rules as they exist in our country. To say otherwise is simply incorrect.

The Conservatives formed government in 2006. We signed free trade agreements with nine countries around the world. We are very much looking out for Canadian interests and Canadian industry. At the end of the day, that means looking out for Canadian jobs and Canadian workers.

[Foreign Investment, February 12th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the question is a reasonable one, but of course the hon. member already knows that the Investment Canada Act is in place to make sure dealings with other countries, and investments in particular, do have a net benefit for Canadians. That is why we have an Investment Canada Act.

This is an Investment Canada Act question, but there is an undercurrent in the member's statement about trade protectionism and, quite frankly, some of the bad old days of NDP policy in which it is simply anti-trade on everything. Let us try to move beyond that type of rhetoric for a moment and look at specifics.

We said we were planning to form a government and we were going to look at exporting quality Canadian goods, services and expertise to the new fast-growing markets around the world. It is a key part of our government's plans for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians. I think the hon. member understands that. Our government is delivering on this commitment. We are engaged in the most ambitious pro-trade plan in Canada's history. In order to do that, we have to balance that with the Investment Canada Act so the two can work together for the betterment of all Canadians.

Today in Canada our exporters, and therefore our workers, have more access to markets than they ever had in the history of the country. We are committed to ensuring that the access is guaranteed and continued. Again, we talked about our foreign investment promotion protection agreement with China, the world's second largest economy. This agreement alone will provide stronger protection for Canadians investing in China. It will create jobs and economic growth here in Canada.

This agreement establishes a clear set of rules under which investments are made and under which investment disputes will be resolved, the same way that the Investment Canada Act provides rules for investment in Canada. The treaty is about protecting the interests of Canadians that ultimately will give Canadian investors in China the same types of rules, parameters and privileges that the Chinese investors already have, and have long had, in Canada.

Let me emphasize that this is a bilateral investment agreement that we sign with China. It establishes clear rules for investment. So let us move the NDP members away, because I think they truly are trying to move away from their anti-trade positions of the past, and the Investment Canada Act criticism is just a cover for some of those anti-trade criticisms. It is the party that has opposed our government's efforts to open up new markets for Canadian exporters. New Democrats have opposed trade on countless occasions. They have tried to shut down trade ever since the days of the auto pact, which they now say they support but we know they are on the record as not supporting. They opposed NAFTA, the world's greatest free trade success story. Millions of jobs have been created in Canada because of it. That is not all. They voted against trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, Israel and even Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, which are not exactly dictatorships.

The NDP views on trade are not limited to history.

I realize I am running out of time, but we have further trade negotiations coming with Korea, Japan and the European Union. We have more investment coming through the Canada Investment Act, so—