Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2009-12-01 18:55:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Mike Lake (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, CPC)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"1740895\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to respond to the concerns expressed by the hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"128491\" href=\"/politicians/brian-masse/\" title=\"Brian Masse\">Windsor West</a> about the acquisition of certain Nortel assets by Ericsson, a Swedish-based telecommunications company.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740896\" data-originallang=\"en\">In the economic action plan, Advantage Canada, and in budget 2007, the federal government committed to undertake a review of Canada's competition policies and its framework for foreign investment policy. To deliver on these commitments, in July 2007 the government created an expert panel chaired by Mr. Lynton Ronald Wilson.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740897\" data-originallang=\"en\">The panel conducted extensive consultations. In June 2008 it released its final report and recommendations aimed at raising Canada's overall economic performance through greater competition to provide Canadians with a higher standard of living.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740898\" data-originallang=\"en\">One of the panel's key recommendations was that we narrow the scope for intervention on economic grounds under the Investment Canada Act. The panel also found that it would be in Canada's best interest in a post-9/11 world to incorporate a national security test into the act.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740899\" data-originallang=\"en\">We moved very quickly to address these and other key recommendations in the report. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740900\" data-originallang=\"en\">Last winter, the <a data-HoCid=\"3636372\" href=\"/bills/40-2/C-10/\" title=\"An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on January 27, 2009 and related fiscal measures\">Budget Implementation Act, 2009</a> brought about reforms to the Investment Canada Act, including a national security review mechanism. Before this legislation, Canada was the only major developed country that did not have the authority to review foreign investments on the basis of national security concerns. Now we do. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740901\" data-originallang=\"en\">It is important to understand the process undertaken to conduct a national security review. I would like to take a minute to explain this process.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740902\" data-originallang=\"en\">Under the new national security provisions of the Investment Canada Act, a foreign investment, regardless of its dollar amount, may be subject to review. An investment is reviewable if, after consultation with the Minister of Public Safety, the Minister of Industry considers that the investment could be injurious to national security. He refers the investment to cabinet and it makes an order to review the investment. If cabinet orders a review, the Minister of Industry is responsible for leading it, in consultation with the Minister of Public Safety.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740903\" data-originallang=\"en\">At the end of the review period, if there are grounds for further action, the minister would submit a report with recommendations to cabinet. Cabinet has the authority to take any measures in respect of the investment that it considers advisable to protect national security.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740904\" data-originallang=\"en\">With respect to the acquisition of Nortel's CDMA and LTE assets by Ericsson, the government did examine the national security implications of this transaction. The <a data-HoCid=\"128698\" href=\"/politicians/tony-clement/\" title=\"Tony Clement\">Minister of Industry</a> consulted with the <a data-HoCid=\"128704\" href=\"/politicians/peter-van-loan/\" title=\"Peter Van Loan\">Minister of Public Safety</a> and the <a data-HoCid=\"128697\" href=\"/politicians/lawrence-cannon/\" title=\"Lawrence Cannon\">Minister of Foreign Affairs</a>. Based on all of the information presented to the <a data-HoCid=\"128698\" href=\"/politicians/tony-clement/\" title=\"Tony Clement\">Minister of Industry</a>, there are no grounds to believe that this transaction could be injurious to Canada's national security.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740905\" data-originallang=\"en\">In closing, foreign investment is an important driver of economic success. It stimulates job creation, technological development and economic growth. It is therefore critical that we send the strongest possible signal to investors around the world that Canada is a safe and stable place to do business.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"1740895\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je suis heureux de prendre la parole \u00e0 la Chambre pour r\u00e9pondre \u00e0 certaines pr\u00e9occupations exprim\u00e9es par le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"128491\" href=\"/politicians/brian-masse/\" title=\"Brian Masse\">Windsor-Ouest</a> au sujet de l'acquisition de certains avoirs de Nortel par Ericsson, soci\u00e9t\u00e9 su\u00e9doise de t\u00e9l\u00e9communications.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740896\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Dans le Plan d'action \u00e9conomique, \u00ab Avantage Canada \u00bb, et dans le budget de 2007, le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral s'est engag\u00e9 \u00e0 entreprendre un examen des politiques de concurrence du Canada et de son cadre pour les politiques relatives aux investissements \u00e9trangers. Pour respecter ces engagements, en juillet 2007, le gouvernement a cr\u00e9\u00e9 un groupe d'\u00e9tude, pr\u00e9sid\u00e9 par M. Lynton Ronald Wilson.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740897\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le groupe a men\u00e9 des consultations exhaustives et, en juin 2008, il a publi\u00e9 son rapport final et ses recommandations visant \u00e0 am\u00e9liorer la performance \u00e9conomique globale du Canada, gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 une concurrence accrue, afin de fournir aux Canadiens un niveau de vie plus \u00e9lev\u00e9. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740898\" data-originallang=\"en\">L'une des principales recommandations du groupe d'\u00e9tude \u00e9tait de restreindre la port\u00e9e des interventions, pour des motifs \u00e9conomiques, en vertu de la Loi sur Investissement Canada. Le groupe croyait aussi qu'il y allait de l'int\u00e9r\u00eat du Canada, depuis les \u00e9v\u00e9nements du 11 septembre 2001, d'inscrire dans la loi un crit\u00e8re explicite de s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740899\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Nous avons agi tr\u00e8s rapidement pour donner suite \u00e0 ces recommandations et \u00e0 d'autres importantes recommandations du rapport. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740900\" data-originallang=\"en\">L'hiver denier, la <a data-HoCid=\"3636372\" href=\"/bills/40-2/C-10/\" title=\"An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on January 27, 2009 and related fiscal measures\">Loi d'ex\u00e9cution du budget de 2009</a> pr\u00e9voyait des modifications \u00e0 la Loi sur Investissement Canada, y compris un m\u00e9canisme d'examen des questions de s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale. Avant l'adoption de cette mesure l\u00e9gislative, le Canada \u00e9tait le seul grand pays industrialis\u00e9 du monde qui n'avait pas le pouvoir d'examiner les investissements \u00e9trangers en vue d'assurer sa s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale. Nous pouvons maintenant le faire.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740901\" data-originallang=\"en\">Il est important de comprendre le processus pr\u00e9alable \u00e0 un examen de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale. Je vais prendre une minute pour l'expliquer.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740902\" data-originallang=\"en\">En vertu des nouvelles disposition en mati\u00e8re de s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale de la Loi sur Investissement Canada, un investissement \u00e9tranger, quelle que soit sa valeur mon\u00e9taire, peut faire l'objet d'un examen. Ainsi, apr\u00e8s consultation avec le minist\u00e8re de la S\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique, le ministre de l'Industrie peut estimer que l'investissement en question risque d'\u00eatre pr\u00e9judiciable \u00e0 la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale et qu'il devrait faire l'objet d'un examen. Il renvoie donc l'investissement en question au Cabinet et celui-ci \u00e9met une ordonnance d'examen au besoin. Lorsque le Cabinet ordonne un examen, le ministre de l'Industrie est responsable d'en prendre la direction, en consultation avec le ministre de la S\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740903\" data-originallang=\"en\">\u00c0 la fin de la p\u00e9riode d'examen, s'il y a des motifs qui justifient de nouvelles mesures, le ministre doit pr\u00e9senter un rapport et des recommandations au Cabinet. Celui-ci est habilit\u00e9 \u00e0 prendre toutes les mesures n\u00e9cessaires concernant l'investissement, dans la mesure o\u00f9 il les consid\u00e8re appropri\u00e9es \u00e0 la protection de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740904\" data-originallang=\"en\">Concernant l'acquisition par Ericsson de la division CDMA de Nortel et de ses actifs LTE, le gouvernement a examin\u00e9 les r\u00e9percussions de cette transaction sur la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale. Le <a data-HoCid=\"128698\" href=\"/politicians/tony-clement/\" title=\"Tony Clement\">ministre de l\u2019Industrie</a> a consult\u00e9 le <a data-HoCid=\"128704\" href=\"/politicians/peter-van-loan/\" title=\"Peter Van Loan\">ministre de la S\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique</a> et le <a data-HoCid=\"128697\" href=\"/politicians/lawrence-cannon/\" title=\"Lawrence Cannon\">ministre des Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res</a>. Sur la foi de tous les renseignements pr\u00e9sent\u00e9s au <a data-HoCid=\"128698\" href=\"/politicians/tony-clement/\" title=\"Tony Clement\">ministre de l\u2019Industrie</a>, il n'y a pas lieu de croire que cette transaction pourrait nuire \u00e0 la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale du Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1740905\" data-originallang=\"en\">Enfin, j'ajouterai que les investissements \u00e9trangers sont un important moteur de la prosp\u00e9rit\u00e9 \u00e9conomique. Ils stimulent la cr\u00e9ation d'emplois, le d\u00e9veloppement technologique et la croissance \u00e9conomique. Il est donc de la plus haute importance que nous d\u00e9montrions clairement aux investisseurs du monde entier que le Canada est un pays s\u00fbr et stable pour brasser des affaires.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2009/12/1/mike-lake-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/mike-lake/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/466/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2989988",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Adjournment Proceedings",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h3": {
        "en": "Nortel",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2009/12/1/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2009%2F12%2F1%2F"
    }
}