From CPTPP to NAFTA, trade to top agenda in the House this fall

The House of Commons is back this week for the last fall sitting before the 2019 election, and trade is set to top the agenda, with NAFTA renegotiations ongoing and a bill to enact the new Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement fresh on the Order Paper. Government House Leader Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Ont.), in a phone interview with The Hill Times, flagged Bill C-79, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Implementation Act to ratify the agreement; Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act; and Bill C-76, the Elections Modernization Act as key pieces of legislation the government is looking to move forward this fall. Bill C-76 has been “stuck at committee,” said Ms. Chagger, and the government is eager to see it returned to the House to start considering proposed “amendments and actually make sure that more Canadians are able to vote in the next election.” The CPTPP Implementation Act, introduced June 14, is at second reading in the House of Commons, with debate on it set to start Sept. 17. Previously known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the pact was renamed CPTPP in 2017 after the U.S. opted to withdraw; 11 countries remain in the agreement. Not long after the Liberals introduced Bill C-79, Conservatives sought unanimous consent to immediately pass the bill through the House to the Senate, which the Liberals supported but the NDP opposed, thwarting the effort. In a tweet on July 19, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.) announced that he’d sent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) a letter “calling for an emergency session of Parliament to ratify CPTPP now.” Parliament was not recalled. So far, three countries—Japan, Mexico, and Singapore—have ratified the agreement, which comes into effect 60 days after the sixth country ratifies it. In response to Mr. Scheer’s tweet, International Trade Minister Jim Carr (Winnipeg South Centre, Man.) said Canada is “absolutely on track to be among the crucial first six.” Ms. Chagger said she will “continue to have conversations with the NDP to find a way forward” on Bill C-79, which she called an “important” piece of legislation for Canada as a “trading nation,” and one “that really should be advanced and sent to the Senate.” “At the very least, what we should do is get it to committee so that committee can address any concerns that NDP colleagues might have,” she said. “We’ve definitely seen the importance of diversifying our markets. Canada offers great products and services, we have great businesses, and we really need to ensure that we are opening markets, and there are people around the world that want to work with Canada,” said Ms. Chagger. NDP House Leader Ruth Ellen Brosseau (Berthier-Maskinongé, Que.) said last week that her caucus remains opposed to the CPTPP agreement, highlighting concerns over the deal’s impact on the Canadian auto sector and concessions on dairy. “Obviously I think coming up in the first few weeks and months it’s going to be a heavy trade-focused session,” said Ms. Brosseau, pointing to both the CPTPP implementation bill and NAFTA. “It’s going to be a very busy year. We’re looking forward to getting back in the House,” she said. Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen (Portage-Lisgar, Man.) said trade, the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, the federal carbon tax plan, and immigration—specifically border crossings, which she called illegal—will be the top issues for her caucus this fall. “There’s a number of really important issues that are affecting the economy of this country, that’s affecting our competitiveness, and these are issues that we’re going to be asking the government about, and asking Justin Trudeau to answer for,” she said. CPTPP was largely negotiated under the previous Conservative government, and Ms. Bergen said Conservatives are eager to “get back to work on that.” “We will be pushing that really hard. We need to get that trade deal, the legislation, through so that’s finalized,” she said. “I think all Canadians would be very pleased if we get that done quickly.” On NAFTA, Ms. Bergen said Canada is “being left out in the cold.” The Conservatives held their summer strategy session at the beginning of their party’s policy convention in Halifax, held Aug. 23-25. Ms. Bergen said her caucus has emerged from the summer “united,” “focused,” and “disciplined.” Former high-profile Conservative MP Maxime Bernier (Beauce, Que.) split from the Tory caucus last month and has promised to create a new party, and Ms. Bergen said her caucus is "relieved." "He's for the last year been kind of doing his own thing, not really doing anything to help us," she said. “I think we’re all really feeling the importance of what we’re doing and that Canadians are going to be looking to us to fix this mess that Trudeau has created. They’re going to be looking to us to put forward a good platform and a good campaign,” she said. Ms. Chagger said morale is “really good” among the Liberals heading into the fall sitting, and she’s “hopeful” the government will be able to clear its Order Paper before Parliament dissolves for the October 2019 federal election. “I really do hope that we will continue being productive for Canadians, and we can all set up our campaigns accordingly, but in the House of Commons we’re there to work,” she said. “As the government House leader my job is really to ensure that we have a productive as well as a well functioning House of Commons, and I will continue to maintain an open door approach to make sure that happens.” In terms of potential new legislation to be tabled this fall, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett’s (Toronto-St.Paul’s, Ont.) office confirmed it hopes to introduce legislation on the Recognition and Implementation of Indigenous Rights Framework this fall. Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott’s (Markham-Stouffville, Ont.) office noted the government committed to “exploring the potential for co-created federal child welfare legislation” at a special Assembly of First Nations meeting last spring and said these engagements are actively ongoing. Legislation related to Indigenous languages was also signalled by the Liberals last spring but The Hill Times was unable to reach the heritage minister’s office, which would be responsible for any such bill, by filing deadline. Ms. Brosseau said her caucus’ overarching focus this fall will be on highlighting ways in which the Liberal government has failed to deliver on its 2015 commitments, from electoral reform to addressing the wage gap to the environment. “They had a platform that was very similar to ours, but they were not able to deliver on those promises,” said Ms. Brosseau. “We’re going to make sure we talk about how everyday Canadians are feeling like they’re being left behind.” This fall, Ms. Brosseau said the NDP wants to see Bill C-81 moved ahead to the House committee stage. She also highlighted the House Justice Committee’s review of Bill C-75—the government’s massive justice reform package aimed at reducing court delays—which began on June 19 and is set to continue Sept. 17 with testimony from the justice department, the office of the director of public prosecutions, and others. “We want to make sure … that bill will actually have the impacts the government is intending, so we’re going to be making sure at committee that the study is done ,” said Ms. Brosseau. She also highlighted three NDP private members’ bills as among the caucus’ priorities for the coming weeks, those are: NDP MP Georgina Jolibois’ (Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, Sask.) Bill C-369, which sits at second reading in the House and seeks to make June 21 National Indigenous People Day, a statutory holiday; NDP MP Romeo Saganash’s (Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou, Que.) Bill C-262, on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, now at second reading in the Senate; and NDP MP Gord Johns’ (Courtenay-Alberni, B.C.) motion, M-151, on developing a national strategy to combat plastic pollution “in and around aquatic environments.” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has had a rough go of it of late, with internal party strife over Saskatchewan MP Erin Weir’s ousting from the caucus and among its provincial counterparts over the federal party’s opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. The party is miles behind the Liberals and Conservatives in fundraising, and in the polls; five incumbent NDP MPs have announced they won’t seek re-election, and two have already resigned; and the party has yet to officially open up 2019 candidate nominations. Asked about caucus morale in light of these circumstances, Ms. Brosseau was quick to respond, saying, “morale’s really good” and that MPs are “excited to get in the House and back to work.” Nominations for 2019 will open up “shortly,” she said, and recent announcements of NDP MPs not seeking re-election are “natural.” “We’re getting the house in order and I think it being an election year we’re going to be able to pull up our socks and I’m very, very optimistic that we will do better in fundraising,” said Ms. Brosseau. There are currently 11 government bills at second reading the House of Commons, including Bill C-77, which was introduced in May and seeks to amend the National Defence Act and would create a new victims’ bill of rights as part of reforms to the military justice system; Bill C-79; and Bill C-81. Two bills are currently at committee stage in the House of Commons: Bill C-75 and Bill C-76, which would undo a number of electoral reforms made under the previous Conservative government and would establish pre-election spending limits, including for third parties, among other things. One bill, C-71, which seeks to amend certain acts and regulations related to firearms, is at third reading in the House. The House also has Bill C-65 back on its plate for the consideration of Senate amendments. The bill seeks to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, among others, to address harassment and violence in the workplace. Over in the Senate, Bill C-64, the Wrecked, Abandoned, or Hazardous Vessels Act, awaits first reading. Nine government bills are at second reading in the Red Chamber, including Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act; Bill C-59, which would establish a National Security and Intelligence Review Agency and revamp the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), among other things; Bill C-68, on amendments to the Fisheries Act; and Bill C-69, which seeks to overhaul the environmental assessment process. Two bills—Bill C-51, to address parts of the Criminal Code that are obsolete, redundant, or in violation of the Constitution; and Bill C-58, the government’s proposed reforms to the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act—are at the Senate committee stage. lryckewaert@hilltimes.com The Hill Times Status of Bills HOUSE OF COMMONS Second reading: * C-27, An Act to amend the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 C-56, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Abolition of Early Parole Act C-77, An Act to amend the National Defence Act C-78, An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act, and the Garnishment, Attachment, and Pension Diversion Act C-79, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation Act C-81, Accessible Canada Act C-82, Multilateral Instrument in Respect of Tax Conventions Act Committee: C-75, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and other Acts C-76, Elections Modernization Act Third reading: C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms Consideration of Senate amendments: C-65, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, and the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1 (harassment and violence) SENATE House of Commons bills awaiting first reading: C-64, Wrecked, Abandoned, or Hazardous Vessels Act Second reading: C-21, An Act to amend the Customs Act C-47, An Act to amend the Export and Import Permits Act and the Criminal Code (amendments permitting the accession to the Arms Trade Treaty) C-48, Oil Tanker Moratorium Act C-55, An Act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act C-57, An Act to amend the Federal Sustainable Development Act C-59, An Act respecting national security matters C-62, An Act to amend the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act and other Acts C-68, An Act to amend the Fisheries Act C-69, An Act to amend the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act Committee: C-51, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Department of Justice Act C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act * The list of bills at second reading in the House of Commons does not include bills introduced this Parliament which have since been subsumed into other bills (for example, Bill C-33 was merged into Bill C-76).

From CPTPP to NAFTA, trade to top agenda in the House this fall

‘Coming up in the first few weeks and months it’s going to be a heavy trade-focused session,’ says NDP House Leader Ruth Ellen Brosseau.

House leaders keep each other in the dark as last push on legislation begins before fall election

As House enters ‘ugly stretch,’ 2019 budget bill, Indigenous legislation front and centre

Chagger warns of more time allocation, but Conservatives say House cooperation conditional on Liberal ‘transparency’ over SNC-Lavalin

House leaders keep each other in the dark as last push on legislation begins before fall election

How can Ontario achieve net zero, with greater energy reliability and resilience? Roadmap to a clean energy future

Broadening access to digital services for Canadians through secure verification and authentication

Smith’s win ‘complicates’ climate change debate for Ottawa, but Trudeau may gain from provincial sparring partner, say observers

‘Act before it gets worse’: advocates call for feds to keep the LGBTQ2S+ community safe as Pride approaches

A foot in the door: some Hill internship programs rebounding post-rule changes, COVID

Telford three-peats at the top of the 20th Terrific 25 Staffers list, LRB’s Wendy Wu voted Best All-Round

Resuming Saudi ambassadorial link gives Canada increased access, chance to focus on trade and investment: experts

Poverty, divorce bills, and time allocation likely part of baptism for new West Block Chamber

Feds’ justice reforms, poverty-reduction bill priorities for House in coming months: Chagger

House spring sitting most productive one for Trudeau government, 14 bills received royal assent in last six months

Extreme partisanship to blame for sustained spike in time allocation, ex-MPs say

Tensions boil over in House as end-of-session legislative rush kicks into high gear

News

Get free news updates

Opinion

Submit a guest opinion article

resources

Advertise

subscribe

get help

From CPTPP to NAFTA, trade to top agenda in the House this fall

‘Coming up in the first few weeks and months it’s going to be a heavy trade-focused session,’ says NDP House Leader Ruth Ellen Brosseau.

Get The Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Newsletter