Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-13, An Act to implement the Protocol on the Accession of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
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Mr. Speaker, there is good news: Today we tabled legislation to expand the CPTPP trading bloc to welcome our partners from the United Kingdom, which is a major step forward for Canadian trade. Why the U.K.? The U.K. is Canada's third-largest trading partner. Last year alone, it represented $28 billion of Canadian exports. That is billions of dollars of Canadian products produced by Canadian worker…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected this government to protect, build and transform our economy. We are protecting and supporting our industries with a new $5-billion strategic response fund and the $1-billion tariff relief initiative, which will give thousands of Canadian businesses financial support to access new global markets. We are building Canada with new nation-building projects, which will lea…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Decision No 1/2024 of the Joint Committee on Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications of 10 October 2024 setting out an agreement on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications for arch…
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Madam Speaker, our government expects Canadian companies to respect human rights at home and abroad. Canada’s National Contact Point is part of our commitment to further the effectiveness of OECD guidelines. The guidelines are the most complete and authoritative set of global standards on how to run a business responsibly. Canada’s National Contact Point contributes to the resolution of disputes. …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Hamilton Mountain for her tireless work in her community. This is a game-changing announcement: Canada and Indonesia have signed a free trade agreement. Indonesia has a $2-trillion economy, and it is a huge market for Canadian goods produced by Canadian workers in communities across Canada. This is one way that our international efforts are leadi…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is building bridges internationally, and I have good news for Canadians. We just signed a generational trade agreement with Indonesia, the fourth-largest country in the world, with over 275 million potential consumers and the fastest-growing middle class that is looking to buy Canadian products. This is another concrete example of how our international efforts are o…
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Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2), and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Protocol on the Accession of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership” done at Auckland and Bandar…
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Mr. Speaker, as we look at what is happening with global trade headwinds, we need to step up as a country and be there around the world to make sure countries know that we are here. They want to deal with a reliable, stable trading partner. It is our 15th free trade agreement with 51 different countries, with access to the 1.5 billion consumers countries rely on and Canadian workers rely on. That …
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Mr. Speaker, I will not go to personal attacks, as the member opposite did. We will focus on the facts. There are people watching in the gallery. I think it is very important to know that Canada and Mexico have shared over 30 years of strong friendship and economic partnerships rooted in trust, trade and mutual respect. In fact, Canadian direct investment in Mexico was over $45 billion in 2024. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Davenport for her efforts in bringing together the Canadian Brazilian business community. It is those insights that I took to Brazil a few weeks ago as we announced the launch of Canada-Mercosur discussions, a trading bloc consisting of over 250 million potential consumers who want to buy more Canadian products. This is just one of the many initiatives that our …
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Mr. Speaker, we will always defend our national interest in the best interest of Canadians. Last week, I sat down with the Minister of Commerce from China, Minister Wang, to talk about some of these issues that we are working though, whether it is canola, beef or pet food. These are some of the issues that came up at the table. We agreed to launch the JETC, the joint economic and trade commission,…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the hon. member for Mississauga Centre on his recent election win. I recently attended CANSEC, Canada's largest defence trade show, and it had over 40 international delegations present. It was an opportunity for me to meet with industry leaders, connect with international delegations, and see world-class innovation first-hand. The industry supports over 200,000 …
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Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for that very important question about working with all parliamentarians. It is about working with committees. It is about working to grow existing trade relationships, but also creating new ones. In working together, working with ambassadors in this country and working with committees, it is very important that we all play a role, because trade impacts all of our…
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Mr. Speaker, today I sat down with agriculture leaders, especially in the canola sector, and what they asked me to do was to work through issues with China and to open up new markets. That is exactly what we will be focused on.
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Yes, Madam Chair, the Philippines provides ample opportunities. Earlier today, I met with leaders from the agriculture sector who talked about the agriculture office that we opened in Manila, Philippines, and the type of opportunities that office is providing. Now we see more of our beef going to that region and more of our meat products going to the Philippines. It is an important region that we …
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Mr. Speaker, last week in Paris, I met directly with my counterpart, Minister Wang, the minister of commerce, to work through these issues. The Prime Minister talked to the Chinese premier to work through issues as well. Conversations are happening at the highest levels.
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Madam Chair, it is important that we protect the industry. Today I met with representatives of the canola industry, and we talked about tariffs and about markets we can open up. These are discussions that are happening at the highest levels to—
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Mr. Speaker, trade flows in many different ways through services and through merchandise. I think it is important to note that Canadian companies, and today I met with members of the agriculture sector, expect us to diversify our trading markets, especially in—
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Mr. Speaker, when we are talking about our defence strategy and what we just recently announced, I think energy plays a critical role in those conversations. We are going to see more of that at the G7. It is actually one of the pillars for talking about energy security, talking about critical minerals and what Canada has to offer.
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Mr. Speaker, I think we need to come back to the issue at hand. Canadians want us to stay focused on trade diversification, especially the Minister of International Trade. That question would be more related to CBSA and to the Minister of Public Safety.
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Madam Chair, that is a very important question from my colleague. Canada is very lucky to have a diverse group of citizens from all around the world who help bring relationships together. In my community of Brampton, we have a growing African diaspora, including Kenyans and those from Nigeria, who are coming together and really pushing trade. I was actually in Kenya last year, where we talked abou…
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Mr. Speaker, I am working with the Minister responsible for U.S.-Canada Trade to make sure we are able to work through this with our American allies. It is important to note that the softwood lumber industry is very important to our government.
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Madam Chair, I got sworn in, and in my very first week we were running out the door and making sure we are representing this country really well. I attended the inauguration of President Noboa. Ecuador is an important market for us, roughly 20 million people. We have marked the conclusion of negotiations on a trade agreement that will be coming to Parliament for ratification very soon. There are r…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that Indonesia is a market that we recently concluded negotiations with. Ecuador is another market that we recently concluded negotiations with. Indonesia is a big market, with over 250 million people; also, the Philippines is having conversations as well. What I heard today from the agriculture sector is the Indo-Pacific region—
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Mr. Speaker, coming back to the heart of things, I think it is important that our workers and our industries are supported by their government, and that is exactly what we will be focused on. We will be building big things, working with proponents across Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, currently, about 3.3 million people are employed due to our exports. They are an important part of our economy. One in six Canadian jobs is supported by trade, and I think it is important, while we work on reducing internal trade barriers, that we ensure that export markets are opened up as well.
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Mr. Speaker, thousands of jobs across this country are supported by trade, and it is very vital. We are a trading nation. That is why we have 15 trade agreements with over 50 countries around the world. We have access to 1.5 billion customers, whom we need to continue shipping good Canadian-made goods out to.
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Mr. Speaker, what our government is doing is supporting industries and supporting workers. Just today I met with the agriculture industry, and they were very happy that we are opening up talks with partners like those in China. As a path forward, we are going to relaunch the JETC, the joint economic and trade commission, to ensure that we are able to—
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome the new member to the House, but I hope he studies which ministers do what, because as members know, I am the Minister of International Trade. My focus and mandate are to diversify trade to external markets.
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that we have a Minister of Transport and Internal Trade. I am not allowed to say her name, but I think it is important that as cabinet colleagues and MPs, we all work together to ensure that we are able to reduce barriers to grow internal trade throughout our country.
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Mr. Speaker, internal trade barriers do exist, and that is why it is important that we work with our provincial and territorial partners to ensure that we are able to unlock those barriers and unlock over $100 billion in economic activity in our country. However, while we do that, we also want to focus on export markets. The agriculture industry is one industry that is highly supported by exports,…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians have given us a mandate to diversify trade, and that is what we will stay focused on, because that is what those watching at home want us to focus on.
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Mr. Speaker, today we are answering questions as ministers on our respective files. I think that is very important to note for those watching at home.
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Mr. Speaker, I support Canadian jobs; I support Canadian industry. I think it is very important to note that the world wants what Canada has. That is what I am hearing in the European Union, that is what I was hearing in Ecuador and that is—
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question. At the G7, we will be talking about energy security, as it plays a critical role in Canada's negotiation power. Of course, Canada has what the world needs. We have energy, critical minerals, expertise and innovation, so we have a lot of what the world needs.
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Mr. Speaker, one in six jobs depend on trade, and Canadians expect us to continue to focus on trade at this very moment. We are in a crisis, and we need to stay focused here.
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Madam Chair, I look forward to working with the Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade as he advances discussions on this with our American counterparts. At the same time, Canada is ready to strengthen our trading relationships overseas, especially with partners who share our commitment to rules-based trade. Trade diversification is not just about avoiding the risks that come from relying too …
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Mr. Speaker, this gives me a chance to highlight our recent announcement in the defence sector. Our defence sector plays a crucial role in our exports, and I look forward to working with the industry to get it into newer markets, as well as growing into existing markets such as the European Union.
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Mr. Speaker, the world is looking to Canada for our expertise in innovation and energy. I was born in Calgary, so I have a soft spot for that part of our country, especially when we talk about energy. I think it is very important to note that people want what Canada is building.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member opposite for his recent election win and welcome him to the House. The member is talking about new markets. My first trip was to Ecuador. I was sworn in, and a week later I was in Ecuador to finalize negotiations on a trade agreement. We are working with Indonesia as well to unlock more markets there, and we have committed to finalizing an agree…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that we will always be there for our agriculture sector, but that is out of my scope. That is a question for the Minister of Agriculture. However, I want the agriculture industry to know that we will continue fighting for it and opening up new markets.
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Madam Chair, that is a very important question around trade agreements and why they are important to our economy. Currently, Canada has 15 trade agreements, opening access to over 50 countries and 1.5 billion consumers. When we sign a trade agreement, it is not only about trade; it is also about investments, so that sends a clear signal to Canadian investors and Canadian expertise to create jobs i…
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Madam Chair, as this is my first time rising for a speech in this House, I would like to take a moment to thank my incredible team of volunteers, my family and, of course, the residents of Brampton East for their support and for putting their trust in me to serve them here in Ottawa. I would also like to take a moment to congratulate all members of this House on their recent election wins. I look …
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Mr. Speaker, we are known for a lot of different types of energy supplies. We have sustainable energy; we are talking about the nuclear sector, and we are talking about LNG. There are a lot of things that Canada has to offer to the world, and that is what the world wants from Canada. That will be a critical conversation at the G7 coming up on energy security.
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Mr. Speaker, as you know, my mandate is to help diversify trade around the world for Canadian businesses. That is what Canadian businesses expect us to do, especially when we go through some difficulties with our neighbour down south, and that is what my focus will be as a trade minister.
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Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber industry, whether in B.C., in Ontario, across Canada, in Quebec or in eastern Canada, is a very important industry to us as a government and to the workers. We will continue to support them, but we want to make sure we get the best deal possible.
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Mr. Speaker, the canola industry is very important to this government. That is why, today, I met with leaders from the canola industry. I was also in Paris last week, where I sat down with China's minister of commerce, Wang Wentao, to work through some of these issues.
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that while the previous Conservative government capitulated and signed any deal possible, we want to make sure we get the right deal for Canadians by protecting the industry and ensuring that tariffs do not apply to our important softwood lumber industry.
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Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of actions we are going to be taking as the government. This is a new government with a strong mandate from Canadians to make sure that we are able to get our critical minerals, our energy, out to new markets around the world, and that is what the world wants.
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