House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 61% of the vote.
Ministerial Expenses May 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, that is rich coming from a member who spent more time in LAX than she spent in meetings.
One agreement that is not fake is the trans-Pacific partnership. If the trade minister will not table the supposed California agreements that she did not sign, will she do her job and bring forward the TPP agreement that she did sign?
Ministerial Expenses May 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, America is well known as the land of the free, not the land of free personal travel for Canadian ministers.
It was $20,000 for an unplanned last-minute sleepover. That is a lot of orange juice.
On Monday, the House leader stood in his place and tried to justify this excess by claiming, “The minister signed important agreements during her visit to California.”
If that is even remotely true, will the trade minister do her job and table those agreements?
Ministerial Expenses May 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, they all happened to be sitting on the same panel show, so they do not count as individuals.
Either the minister signed important agreements or she did not. If she did, then she should table them right here so we can all have a look at them.
We know her own bureaucrats were in the dark, with 500 pages of emails in two days trying to figure out what she was doing there and why it would cost $20,000 to have her there.
Is the House leader going to stand and apologize for misleading the House yesterday if there were no signed agreements?
Ministerial Expenses May 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we all know the Minister of International Trade's sole purpose for being in LA was to be on television.
Yesterday, when the government House leader tried to defend the minister's unplanned vanity trip, he said, “The minister signed important agreements during her visit to California”. If that is the case, will she table these important agreements immediately, keeping in mind that credit card receipts and the waiver for Bill Maher do not count?
Questions on the Order Paper May 3rd, 2016
With regard to the Minister of International Trade and her negotiations with the United States on softwood lumber: (a) when did formal negotiations on a new Softwood Lumber Agreement commence; (b) how many negotiating sessions have been held to date; and (c) who were the participants of those negotiations in Canada, the United States or elsewhere?
International Trade May 2nd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, there was a full round of consultations last spring when we were still in government as it led up to the TPP. On April 20, Canada's lead negotiator for the TPP is quoted in The Hill Times, so it must be accurate, saying that this coming year is looking exciting. She will be assisting the international trade minister in ratifying the TPP deal that she worked so hard on, and we agree with that.
Now that we have confirmed the Liberals have already made up their mind, will the minister bring the TPP to the House for ratification and start spending more time on trade promotion instead of costly self-promotion?
International Trade May 2nd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the greatest opportunity to get the TPP ratified is before the next U.S. president takes office. Former Obama defense secretary Leon Panetta says there is a low probability of its passing Congress if it is not passed before the end of this presidential term. Yet the Liberals are engaging in endless consultations here and the minister says it is not her job to promote the TPP.
When will the minister spend more time on trade promotion and less time on vanity trips to L.A.?
International Trade January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, one in five jobs in Canada and 60% of our nation's GDP are directly linked to exports. The reality of today's global marketplace is that businesses must have the ability to plan ahead. Businesses require reliability, predictability, and stability so that they can maintain sustainability and profitability in global supply chains. Without these key components, companies will seek out other jurisdictions that have indicated their intent to implement trade agreements like the TPP.
The implementation of free-trade pacts, such as the TPP, would mean more competition for Canadian enterprises. That rules-based competition is fundamental to spurring efficiency and innovation. The more competitive our trading partners, the more our Canadian enterprises will seek to invest and innovate.
Canadians ask the Liberals to stop pontificating and start participating, and to give Canadians a timeline for TPP ratification. We cannot afford to be left out.
International Trade January 25th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we all welcome the opportunity to study this again. Of course, the former chair of the trade committee for the House of Commons had hearings while that negotiation was going on.
We welcome the minister's epiphany on the road from Davos to signing the TPP, but there is also a meeting of TPP ministers the day before that signing that is also very important as they study prospective new partners in the TPP. Has she been invited to that meeting, or have we been left out just like we were in Paris?
International Trade January 25th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, just like COOL, the heavy lifting has been done on TPP. Canadian business may welcome the minister's statement in the last couple of days. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Council of Chief Executives, Canadian Agri-food Trade Alliance and Canadian manufacturers have been telling the minister to ratify TPP to maintain our strong portion of global supply chains.
If she really thinks she is Canada's chief marketing officer, when will she listen to these stakeholders and ratify this important agreement?