Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2010-09-27 12:20:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Ms. Martha Hall Findlay (Willowdale, Lib.)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"2082808\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak today in support of Bill <a data-HoCid=\"4365174\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-8/\" title=\"An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan\">C-8, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan</a>, and having it reviewed at committee.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082809\" data-originallang=\"en\">I am pleased also to participate in a debate that, unusual for this House in recent times, should be relatively free of heated partisan rhetoric.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082810\" data-originallang=\"en\">The official opposition supports the passing of this bill for many of the same reasons that members sitting on the government side of the House support it. We should take advantage of these opportunities when they come along, as they do so rather rarely. However, before my government friends get too excited, I will be raising some real concerns about the government's lack of action on increasing U.S. protectionism and on the missing trade opportunities with China, South Korea and others.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082811\" data-originallang=\"en\">Canada is now experiencing the first trade deficits it has seen in 30 years. Indeed it set a record this July, not a record to be proud of, at a deficit of $2.7 billion. Something is going wrong. We must challenge the government hard on why that is and what we can do about it.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082812\" data-originallang=\"en\">Although we in the Liberal Party want to see continued work on the larger multilateral trade negotiations, and I note that two of my colleagues just now have spoken about the desire for greater multilateral negotiations, we would like to see Canada work even harder in promoting a multilateral approach. We recognize the practicalities and challenges we see happening in that regard. In the absence of progress on the multilateral level, we in the Liberal Party encourage Canada to work at the bilateral level to enhance our trade with as many other countries as possible.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082813\" data-originallang=\"en\">Canada is a nation that supports free trade. Our origins are those of a trading nation, starting with fur and wood and other natural resources. Trade accounts for a significantly greater proportion of our overall economic activity than many other nations. Indeed, 80% of our economy and millions of Canadian jobs depend on trade and our ability to access foreign markets.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082814\" data-originallang=\"en\">Canadian exporters benefit from the reduction and elimination of tariffs on their goods destined for other countries. Canadian manufacturers benefit from the reduction and elimination of tariffs at the Canadian border of the various materials that go into their products. Canadian consumers benefit from the lower prices of imported goods when tariffs on those goods are reduced and eliminated.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082815\" data-originallang=\"en\">Although there will always be debate about protectionism and what steps are best to foster and promote Canadian business success and therefore jobs, most Canadian businesses that look to domestic markets benefit from free trade, not only for all the reasons I have just given but also in being forced to innovate and compete with others from abroad, provided that those abroad comply with international rules of trade, tariff and non-tariff barriers. In the long run, Canadian businesses are more than capable of being strong, innovative and competitive when not hiding behind protectionist walls.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082816\" data-originallang=\"fr\">I am proud to rise in the House today for this debate and to show my support, on behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada, for Bill <a data-HoCid=\"4365174\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-8/\" title=\"An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan\">C-8</a> on the Canada-Jordan free trade agreement, the Canada-Jordan agreement on labour cooperation and the Canada-Jordan agreement on the environment.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082817\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The Harper government's careless handling of Canada's trade relations has led to trade deficits\u2014</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"2082808\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je prends aujourd\u2019hui la parole pour appuyer le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"4365174\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-8/\" title=\"An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan\">C-8, Loi portant mise en oeuvre de l'Accord de libre-\u00e9change entre le Canada et le Royaume hach\u00e9mite de Jordanie, de l'Accord sur l'environnement entre le Canada et le Royaume hach\u00e9mite de Jordanie et de l'Accord de coop\u00e9ration dans le domaine du travail entre le Canada et le Royaume hach\u00e9mite de Jordanie</a> afin qu\u2019il soit examin\u00e9 par le comit\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082809\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je suis \u00e9galement ravie de participer \u00e0 un d\u00e9bat qui devrait \u00eatre relativement exempt de discours partisans enflamm\u00e9s, chose inhabituelle ces derniers temps \u00e0 la Chambre. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082810\" data-originallang=\"en\">L\u2019opposition officielle appuie l\u2019adoption de ce projet de loi pour beaucoup des m\u00eames raisons que les d\u00e9put\u00e9s du parti minist\u00e9riel. Nous devrions saisir ces occasions quand elles se pr\u00e9sentent tellement elles sont rares. Cependant, avant que les minist\u00e9riels ne s\u2019emballent, je tiens \u00e0 soulever certaines pr\u00e9occupations tr\u00e8s concr\u00e8tes au sujet de l\u2019inaction du gouvernement face \u00e0 la mont\u00e9e du protectionnisme am\u00e9ricain et des occasions commerciales manqu\u00e9es avec des pays comme la Chine et la Cor\u00e9e du Sud entre autres.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082811\" data-originallang=\"en\">C\u2019est la premi\u00e8re fois en 30 ans que le Canada enregistre un d\u00e9ficit commercial. Il a bel et bien \u00e9tabli un nouveau record en juin dernier, mais un record dont il n\u2019a pas lieu d\u2019\u00eatre fier, en l\u2019occurrence un d\u00e9ficit de 2,7 milliards de dollars. Quelque chose ne tourne pas rond. Nous devons presser le gouvernement de s\u2019expliquer et de sugg\u00e9rer des solutions.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082812\" data-originallang=\"en\">M\u00eame si, au Parti lib\u00e9ral, nous souhaitons poursuivre les efforts en vue d'\u00e9largir les n\u00e9gociations commerciales multilat\u00e9rales \u2014 et je constate que deux de mes coll\u00e8gues viennent tout juste de manifester leur souhait \u00e0 cet \u00e9gard \u2014, nous aimerions que le Canada travaille encore plus fort pour promouvoir une approche multilat\u00e9rale. Nous sommes conscients des aspects pratiques et des d\u00e9fis li\u00e9s \u00e0 cette question. En l'absence de progr\u00e8s sur le front multilat\u00e9ral, nous, du Parti lib\u00e9ral, encourageons le Canada \u00e0 travailler \u00e0 l'\u00e9chelle bilat\u00e9rale pour resserrer nos liens commerciaux avec le plus grand nombre de pays possible.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082813\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le Canada appuie le libre-\u00e9change. Depuis ses d\u00e9buts, le Canada est un pays commer\u00e7ant, que l'on pense \u00e0 la traite des fourrures, au secteur forestier et \u00e0 d'autres ressources naturelles. Au Canada, le commerce repr\u00e9sente un pourcentage beaucoup plus important de l'ensemble des activit\u00e9s \u00e9conomiques que dans bien d'autres pays. En effet, 80 p. 100 de notre \u00e9conomie et des millions d'emplois canadiens d\u00e9pendent des \u00e9changes commerciaux et de notre capacit\u00e9 de p\u00e9n\u00e9trer les march\u00e9s \u00e9trangers.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082814\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les exportateurs canadiens tirent avantage de la r\u00e9duction et de l'\u00e9limination des droits de douane sur les marchandises destin\u00e9es \u00e0 d'autres pays. Les fabricants canadiens b\u00e9n\u00e9ficient de la r\u00e9duction et de l'\u00e9limination \u00e0 la fronti\u00e8re canadienne des droits de douane sur les diff\u00e9rents \u00e9l\u00e9ments qui entrent dans la fabrication de leurs produits. Les consommateurs canadiens profitent de la r\u00e9duction du prix des marchandises import\u00e9es gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la r\u00e9duction et \u00e0 l'\u00e9limination des droits impos\u00e9s sur celles-ci.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082815\" data-originallang=\"en\">Il y aura toujours des d\u00e9bats sur la question du protectionnisme et les mesures les plus aptes \u00e0 aider les entreprises canadiennes \u00e0 r\u00e9ussir et, ce faisant, \u00e0 cr\u00e9er des emplois. Toutefois, la plupart des entreprises canadiennes qui font affaire sur les march\u00e9s int\u00e9rieurs profitent aussi du libre-\u00e9change, non seulement pour toutes les raisons que je viens d'\u00e9num\u00e9rer, mais aussi parce qu'elles sont forc\u00e9es d'innover et de soutenir la concurrence des entreprises \u00e9trang\u00e8res, \u00e0 condition que celles-ci se conforment aux r\u00e8gles commerciales internationales, s'acquittent des droits de douane et se plient aux barri\u00e8res non tarifaires. \u00c0 long terme, il ne fait aucun doute que les entreprises canadiennes pourront \u00eatre solides, novatrices et concurrentielles si elles ne se cachent pas derri\u00e8re des murs protectionnistes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082816\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je suis fi\u00e8re de me lever aujourd'hui \u00e0 la Chambre pour ce d\u00e9bat en donnant mon appui, au nom du Parti lib\u00e9ral du Canada, au projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"4365174\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-8/\" title=\"An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan\">C-8</a> portant sur l'Accord de libre-\u00e9change Canada\u2014Jordanie, sur un accord de coop\u00e9ration dans le domaine du travail entre le Canada et la Jordanie et sur l'Accord Canada\u2014Jordanie sur l'environnement. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2082817\" data-originallang=\"fr\">La mauvaise gestion des relations commerciales du Canada par le gouvernement Harper a abouti \u00e0 des d\u00e9ficits commerciaux...</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2010/9/27/martha-hall-findlay-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/martha-hall-findlay/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/722/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "3294365",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Canada-Jordan Free Trade Act",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2010/9/27/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2010%2F9%2F27%2F"
    }
}