44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 24, 2023 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the fact that the Bloc is supporting the bill. This trade agreement, from an economic point of view, is an agreement that would benefit both Canada and Ukraine, but that is not the aspect I want to pick up on.
The member spoke a great deal about the special and wonderful relationship between Canada and Ukraine. We have an opportunity here with the passage of this legislation to make a very powerful statement that would go far beyond just the economics. It could deal with everything from the illegal invasion of the Putin war to morale boosting on the front lines of Ukrainian freedom fighters.
The question I have for the member is this: Would he not agree with me that it would be a wonderful thing to ultimately see this bill pass through all stages, including the Senate, before the end of this year?
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- Oct/24/23 3:00:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP and the Liberals are desperate to protect their Prime Minister.
Yesterday, they prevented the commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP, from testifying on the SNC-Lavalin affair. I was flabbergasted to see that the Bloc Québécois also voted for the cover up to protect the Prime Minister. The RCMP was investigating the Prime Minister's obstruction of justice and SNC-Lavalin's fraud.
When nothing is done to clean up corruption, it is costly. When the Bloc helps hide the truth, it is costly. Voting for the Bloc is costly.
Why is the Prime Minister so afraid of the RCMP? Why does he need the Bloc vote to cover up his involvement in the SNC-Lavalin affair?
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask more or less the same question that the Bloc member just asked about the investor-state dispute mechanisms. He said it was not like the investor-state dispute mechanism that the Americans wanted. I wonder if the member can explain more about that. How does it differ from the investor-state dispute mechanism in the Canada-Europe treaty and the CPTPP? Those are things the NDP is not in favour of. Is this some sort of ISDS light? What is it that we can and cannot do, and can face as governments being sued by multinational corporations?
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Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague, as I did with my colleague from the Bloc, that each country has a right to regulate on key areas themselves so they can control certain aspects of it. The other part is a modernized dispute-settlement mechanism with strengthened alternatives to avoid arbitration. This, hopefully, would ensure that both countries are winners in the process.
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Mr. Speaker, I understand that Bloc members are supportive of the legislation.
Economic trade agreements are very positive overall for the nation in that they create all forms of middle-class jobs, opportunities for entrepreneurs and so forth. We have seen that first-hand. However, this is a unique trade agreement in the sense that it is with Ukraine, and Ukraine is at war. I am wondering if the member could provide his thoughts on how the House passing this legislation in a timely fashion could have a very positive impact in Europe, given the war taking place today.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague mentioned off the top that the Bloc was supporting the bill, and it seems to be a fait accompli, that everything was done behind closed doors and we are just implementing it. However, there is a section in the bill he was concerned about on investor-state dispute mechanisms, which is the foreign investment protection agreement of 1995 rolled into this new version. I am wondering if the Bloc will support this and then ask for amendments in committee. What are they going to do about this?
These are things that both the NDP and Bloc seem to be concerned about, where we would have foreign corporations that could sue Canadian governments at all levels for legislation that we want to bring in to protect our environment and protect our citizens. I am wondering what the Bloc's attitude toward that is.
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech and to the question from the Bloc Québécois.
The Bloc Québécois supports the free trade agreement with Ukraine, but opposes the export of liquefied natural gas to Europe. Does my colleague think that the Bloc Québécois is trying to have it both ways?
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Mr. Speaker, I think that the Bloc Québécois should be a little more realistic and realize what is going on in Canada and Quebec, especially with the carbon tax. I think that people in my riding are pretty unhappy about inflation, and the carbon tax is part of it.
I think that party has some serious soul-searching to do. I am not sure it is the party of the regions anymore.
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