Gerald Keddy

[Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I listened quite closely to my hon. colleague's comments and I could not help but think that the NDP had finally reverted to what that party really was, spokespeople for a few special interest groups, the big unions in our country. It is not about jobs, or opportunity, or trying to find a free trade agreement with likeminded countries around the world or fairness. It is about special interests.

If Forbes magazine can say that Canada is the best country in the world in which to invest, if we have created 680,000 jobs and other countries around the world have been unable to, when an economic crisis is ready to swallow up Greece and perhaps Spain and Portugal as well and when we look around by every parameter and see we have done better than other countries, how can the hon. member say what he has said?

[International Trade, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Kelowna—Lake Country for his support for our job-creating, pro-trade plan.

Today's events prove once again that the NDP and its special interest groups are ideologically opposed to free trade and will continue to invent any reason to oppose free and open trade.

We welcome the ninth round of negotiations as the benefits for Canadian workers and businesses through a free trade agreement with the EU are expected to be enormous: a 20% boost in bilateral trade, a $12 billion annual boost to Canada's economy and almost 80,000 new jobs created.

[Canadian Wheat Board, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, when the minister appeared before the trade committee, he reassured the committee once again that supply management was protected by this government and would continue to be protected by this government.

[International Trade, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the member opposite that the government always protects and advances Canada's interests during international negotiations. We will only enter into an agreement that is in Canada's best interests. The benefits to Canada are clear. As I said earlier, a trade agreement with the European Union is expected to boost Canada's economy by $12 billion and increase two-way trade by 20%. Our ambitious pro-trade plan will create jobs and economic growth for Canadians in all regions of the country.

[International Trade, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has his facts wrong. Like all of Canada's trade agreements, a free trade agreement with the European Union would exclude public services such as public health, public education, and social services. Canada's trade obligations do not require us to privatize any part of our health care system. The claims to this are simply hogwash.

[International Trade, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I said earlier that the benefits to Canadians are clear. A trade agreement with the European Union is expected to boost Canada's economy by $12 billion and increase two-way trade by 20%. I would remind the member opposite that this government always protects and advances Canada's interests during international negotiations and will only enter into an agreement that is in the best interests of Canadians.

[International Trade, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, our trade negotiation with the European Union is Canada's most important trade initiative since the signing of the historic North American free trade agreement. A trade agreement with the EU will increase Canada's economy by $12 billion and increase two-way trade by 20%. This is an ambitious free trade agreement. It will create jobs and economic growth for Canadians in all regions of the country.

[International Trade, October 7th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of International Trade was, at his request, before committee discussing the enormous benefits of our job creating, pro-trade plan.

Today, the minister will embark upon a trade mission to China, because we know that when Canadian businesses grow in this priority market, they create jobs and prosperity here at home.

Despite the NDP's opposition, we will continue to pursue our job creating, pro-trade, low-tax plan, a plan that created over 650,000 jobs since July 2009.

[Taxation, September 30th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, while our Conservative government is focused on helping create jobs and growing the economy with our job-creating pro-trade and low-tax plan, the NDP is publicly demanding higher taxes.

Yesterday, the NDP MPs also publicly attacked our Conservative government's reduction of the GST from 7% to 5%, bemoaning the fact that Canadian families were keeping more of their own hard-earned money and not big government. NDP members have stated that cutting the GST was probably the worst measure that this government could have adopted. The member for Beauport—Limoilou said that reducing the GST was a serious problem. Now the NDP finance critic has demanded Canadians and Canadian job creators be forced to pay yet another new tax, this time on daily financial transactions.

Our ambitious pro-trade low-tax plan to create jobs and economic growth is working. Meanwhile, the NDP's anti-trade high-tax job-killing plan is reckless. The NDP's anti-trade high-tax plan is yet another worrying example that the NDP is not fit to govern.

[International Trade, September 27th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the Asia-Pacific gateway is critical to Canada's long-term economic prosperity. As the demand for Canadian exports to the Asia-Pacific markets continue to grow so do the opportunities for Canadian workers and companies. We are well-positioned to take advantage of the Asia-Pacific markets so we can create economic growth, more jobs and financial security for all Canadians.