Tracy Gray

[Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement Implementation Act, January 28th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to split my time.

[Petitions, January 28th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents in my riding. It calls for sanctions to be placed on corrupt Chinese officials so they cannot use Canada as a safe haven.

[The Economy, January 27th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, President Biden's new buy America executive order contains much tougher rules than we have ever seen before, all but shutting Canadian businesses out of U.S. government contracts. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says this will have a chilling effect on businesses and jobs.

The Liberals failed to negotiate Canada's participation in Chapter 13 of CUSMA, which addresses government procurement. The Liberals' trade failures just keep piling up. Is the Prime Minister negotiating buy America exemptions for Canadian businesses?

[International Trade, January 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, when the U.S. put through buy America policies in 2009, the Conservative government secured an exemption agreement so Canadian businesses and workers were protected. We need similar leadership now.

Canadian manufacturers and exporters have said that these buy America policies may force them to move across the border, taking tens of thousands of jobs with them. Is the government pursuing an exemption agreement with the United States to protect Canadian workers?

[International Trade, January 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, first the U.S. administration cancelled Keystone XL. Now it has announced buy America policies for its government procurement. This will be devastating to our exports of Canadian aluminum and steel, and for the many manufacturing and wholesale sectors that rely on integrated supply chains with the United States.

What is the Prime Minister doing to ensure Canada is exempted from these policies, or will he again just express his disappointment, as he did with Keystone?

[International Trade, January 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday’s announcement by the Biden administration for a buy America plan will mean Canadian companies will be largely excluded from U.S. government contracts and projects.

This will be devastating for hard-working Canadians in manufacturing, production, aluminum and steel. I was talking with a manufacturing company in my riding of Kelowna—Lake Country this morning that is worried about being shut out through their U.S. distributor, which sells to the U.S. government.

The U.S. is our largest market. It is worth half a trillion dollars in yearly exports. When former President Obama put in buy America policies, the Conservative government quickly negotiated an agreement to allow Canadian companies to continue participating.

This will put our mutual economic recovery at risk. While the Liberals may be just fine with saying that they are concerned or disappointed with U.S. trade issues, Canada’s Conservatives are focused on securing jobs, securing the economy and securing our future.

The Prime Minister needs to get to work—

[International Trade, December 11th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals have had years to work on this trade agreement, which they knew was expiring at the end of 2020. Instead, they pulled out of negotiations early in 2019 and did not restart them until this summer. For weeks the minister has been talking about trade mitigation ideas for businesses, and now U.K. officials are saying that the Liberals’ plans may not even be possible. The minister left exporters out to dry with only 12 business days left before tariffs could potentially be applied.

I have asked the minister several times now. What is the plan to mitigate these disruptive tariffs?

[International Trade, December 11th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals' delays in ratifying the Canada-U.K. trade agreement have caused U.K. trade officials to state, in their own words, these will cause “damage and destruction” to businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. This represents $29 billion a year in trade between our countries. Weeks ago at committee, the minister would not commit to any timeline on legislation through Parliament or the Senate. Canada's key business, agricultural and manufacturing organizations are calling on the Liberals to provide stability and predictability on trade with the U.K.

What is the plan? We are out of time.

[Committees of the House, December 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Standing Committee on International Trade's clerk, analysts and colleagues for helping prepare this interim report. Attached to it is the supplementary opinion of the official opposition.

The Conservative Party of Canada congratulates our Canadian negotiating team for announcing a trade agreement with the United Kingdom. However, we are concerned with the government's lack of transparency on the details, lack of proactive and robust consultation with business and labour and lack of planning to allow parliamentarians in the House of Commons, at committee and in the Senate proper time to scrutinize the potential legislation before the end of the year, when the CETA's application to the U.K. ends.

In this supplementary opinion, we respectfully list recommendations for the government to consider in the immediate and long term regarding the next steps in trade between Canada and the United Kingdom, including to begin work to negotiate a successor agreement that is good for Canada and good for Canadians.

[International Trade, December 7th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, exporting businesses need certainty and stability, yet exporters have no idea what January 1 will look like for them, regardless of whether the government signs an agreement with the United Kingdom or not.

We were told at the trade committee by exporters that this does not make them feel comfortable, and customs brokers are saying that small businesses are coming to them looking for advice, and they have no idea what to say.

The U.K. is our third-largest export market, so when will the minister disclose to businesses what the plan is? There are only 16 days left.