Gerald Keddy

[Government Appointments, October 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this is a matter that is before the courts. However, I can tell members that this is not a political issue. Public court records state that the commission found problems with the way the public service ran its hiring process. It did not find any political interference by ministers or political staff.

[International Trade, October 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, that is just absolute nonsense. What our government is doing and what we have always sought to do with this agreement is to strike a balance between promoting innovation and job creation and ensuring that Canadians have access to the affordable drugs that they need. It is as simple as that.

[International Trade, October 15th, 2012]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While I have the floor, if the NDP wants to talk about what is going to drive costs up for Canadians, and especially Canadian seniors, let us talk about its carbon tax—

[International Trade, October 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, let me once again assure the House that an agreement will be signed only if it is in the best interests of Canadians.

Does the NDP want to talk about—

[International Trade, October 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am getting a lot of help here. These negotiations continue to be the most open, progressive negotiations—

[International Trade, October 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government has always sought to strike a balance between promoting innovation and job creation and ensuring that Canadians continue to have access to the affordable drugs that they need.

For the hon. member opposite, we continue to consult with the provinces and the territories in an very open set of negotiations. These—

[Committees of the House, October 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, in relation to Bill C-24, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Panama, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Republic of Panama and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Panama.

The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.

[Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, October 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, today is the 25th anniversary of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. Since the FTA came into force in 1989, Canada's annual GDP has risen by $1.1 trillion, nearly 4.6 million jobs have been created in Canada and two-way trade with the United States in goods and services has more than tripled.

Canadians may remember that the ideological, anti-trade, anti-development NDP actually opposed free trade with the United States. The NDP was on the fringes of economic policy 25 years ago and it remains on the fringes of Canadian economic policy today.

It was a Conservative government led by Brian Mulroney that brought in free trade 25 years ago. It is a Conservative government today under our Prime Minister that continues to create jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity through trade.

While the NDP is guided by its out of the mainstream, ideological doctrine, our Conservative government will continue to act in the best interests of Canadians.

[International Trade, October 3rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the CETA negotiations, the comprehensive economic and trade agreement with the European Union, are the most open and transparent negotiations in the history of this country.

The hon. member needs to speak to his colleagues in Quebec. They have been supportive of this agreement from the very beginning. There are ongoing negotiations, both with the provinces and the municipality. They continue to be supportive of this agreement.

[International Trade, October 3rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, that is a great question by the member for London West and I thank him for his hard work on the trade committee.

One in seven Canadian jobs now depends on trade with the United States, but sadly if the New Democrats had their way, this would all disappear. Canadians know that they opposed NAFTA, our greatest free trade success story. They have consistently opposed opening new trade markets for our exporters ever since, and they even oppose trade with Norway.

Try as they might, the New Democrats cannot hide from their anti-trade record.