National Post (National Edition)
We’re f ighting for more trade
OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO CREATE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES. — JIM CARR
In just the past few days on the trade diversification file, our government has met both the outgoing and incoming Mexican administrations, rallied momentum within the Pacific Alliance trading bloc (comprised of Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico) and charted a course to ensure Canada becomes the most trade-connected country on the planet.
Our objective is to create jobs and opportunities for the middle class. That was true in 2015. It’s true today. It will be true in 2019, too.
Over the same period, Stephen Harper has again expressed his preferred approach, which also appears to be Andrew Scheer’s: Any deal is better than no deal. (“Canada’s trade-deal stalling shows it’s closed for business,” Andrew Scheer, July 24). In other words, Canada should capitulate.
I suppose pointing away from oneself and shouting that the sky is falling makes sense when you consider Conservative trade policy is in tatters, pulled from each corner by its own members. Whether on trade with Asia, supply management, or capitulation to the U.S., the Conservatives are awash in bad and contradictory ideas.
Meanwhile, thanks to our government’s diversification strategy, companies operating in Canada are on the verge of securing preferential market access through 14 trade agreements (like the Comprehensive and Progressive Transpacific Partnership, CPTPP, or CETA, our trade agreement with Europe), to 51 countries. That’s nearly 1.5 billion consumers, with total GDP of US$49.3 trillion.
The Opposition push a narrative that reveals an inexplicable eagerness to turn back the clock to the Harper years. The party that once prided itself on championing free trade, is now curiously trying to undermine the very policies it once promoted, even as Canada faces the most complex trade challenge of modern times.
Canadians understand the imperative of diversification. By design, recent federal cabinet changes reflect this. There’s a renewed focus on broadening international trade, supporting and growing small business, expanding tourism, promoting exports and improving internal trade here at home.
In the new CPTPP, we relaunched stalled talks and then expanded access for more Canadians to a market of 500 million consumers, representing 13 per cent of global GDP. We fought for and secured revised terms that levelled the playing field for smaller businesses.
For the Conservatives, the old TPP was just fine.
They were only too happy to give up on our intellectual property, potentially putting Canada behind the times for decades, and to sell out our country’s unique culture. This government held out for a better deal, and got one.
When it comes to ratification of the new CPTPP, whatever happened to the Team Canada approach they promised to pursue earlier this year? Sadly, the Conservative leader seems more focused on parliamentary stunts than constructive co-operation.
As a former Speaker, he should know the threshold for recalling Parliament.
In fact, he already tried and failed to get the unanimous consent required to pass the bill without debate while the NDP remain locked in an anti-trade straitjacket.
We continue to respect all voices in Parliament, while ensuring we are on track to ratify the CPTPP; we will be among the first to do so.
As Mr. Scheer also knows, the CPTPP requires that six of the 11 signatories ratify before it goes into effect. We expect the first six to happen late this year or early next.
Canadians, now more than ever, expect their government to be reasonable and constructive, but also firm in protecting their interests.
That is exactly what we have done, and will continue to do, as we work to get Canadians access to more and more markets around the world. Rather than play partisan games with our economic future, the Conservatives could work with us in this great national effort.