CUFTA Implementation Legislation Unanimously Passes Second Reading
December 14, 2016. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress welcomes the unanimous vote on the second reading of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Implementation Act, which took place yesterday in Canada’s House of Commons.
Many Members of Parliament spoke on the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement and Canada-Ukraine relations. The full transcript of yesterday’s proceedings in the House of Commons is available at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Pub=hansard&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=42&Ses=1
The following Members of Parliament spoke during yesterday’s proceedings:
- Hon. Chrystia Freeland (Minister of International Trade)
- Mr. Todd Doherty (Cariboo—Prince George)
- Ms. Tracey Ramsey (Essex)
- Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan)
- Mr. Mel Arnold (North Okanagan—Shuswap)
- Hon. Gerry Ritz (Battlefords—Lloydminster)
- Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons)
- Mr. David Lametti (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade)
- Mr. Pierre-Luc Dusseault (Sherbrooke)
- Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
- Ms. Sheila Malcolmson (Nanaimo—Ladysmith)
- Ms. Anne Minh-Thu Quach (Salaberry—Suroît)
- Mr. Omar Alghabra (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Consular Affairs)
- Mr. Arif Virani (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship)
- Mr. John Barlow (Foothills)
- Mr. Peter Fonseca (Mississauga East—Cooksville)
- Mr. Dan Albas (Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola)
- Mr. Jim Eglinski (Yellowhead)
- Mr. Wayne Stetski (Kootenay—Columbia)
- Ms. Julie Dzerowicz (Davenport)
- Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-Saint-Louis)
- Mr. Scott Reid (Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston)
- Mr. James Bezan (Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman)
- Mr. Robert-Falcon Ouellette (Winnipeg Centre)
- Mr. Borys Wrzesnewskyj (Etobicoke Centre)
- Mr. Tom Kmiec (Calgary Shepard)
- Mr. Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie)
- Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Carleton)
- Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona)
- Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe)
- Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West)
- Ms. Tracey Ramsey (Essex)
- Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby)
- Mr. Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona)
- Mr. Erin Weir (Regina—Lewvan)
- Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
- Mr. Mark Warawa (Langley—Aldergrove)
- Mrs. Shannon Stubbs (Lakeland)
- Ms. Karine Trudel (Jonquière)
- Mr. Randeep Sarai (Surrey Centre)
Some highlights:
Hon. Chrystia Freeland (Minister of International Trade)
This is a historic agreement for Canadians and Ukrainians alike. I know that many hon. members, including those across the aisle, have worked hard on this agreement.
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The people of Ukraine have always had very close ties to Canada. Many families, like my own, trace their ancestry to Ukraine. In fact, our countries have enjoyed a close relationship dating back more than 125 years.
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Canada stands firmly beside Ukraine in defending its borders and its sovereignty against illegal and unwarranted acts of aggression. Canada has led other G7 countries in condemning Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, and we will continue to take action to help the people of Ukraine rebuild their economy and country.
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The Ukrainian people have always had a friend in Canada, and our government, and I very much personally, are determined to help the people of Ukraine prosper and succeed in a sovereign, democratic, and free Ukraine. Our free trade agreement is a very concrete measure that reinforces this support and that has built on work done by members of all parties in the House.
Hon. Gerry Ritz (Battlefords—Lloydminster)
It is unfortunate that there are so few issues like this that actually unite this House, in that there are so many more issues that tend to divide us. This is one where we have all come together. As the discussions have gone on over the years leading up to this point, certainly there has been growing appreciation of what this deal would represent, especially for the people of Ukraine as it would tend to draw them west as opposed to the eastern pole that we see chewing at their borders on a day-by-day basis.
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We are now marking 25 years of independence in Ukraine. That is a short amount of time in a country’s history. The Ukrainian people go back generations and centuries and have slowly and steadily plodded toward this free market economy and democracy, and they are winning.
When we start to link arms with them, as we are doing with this free trade agreement, we start to see that win become almost palpable in the streets of the cities in Ukraine, and of course across the rural countryside, as they recognize the potential they have. Now that potential has doubled and tripled when they link arms with a strong democracy like this country we call home.
We are happy to work with them, to bolster them, to bring them into the 21st century. When it comes to trade agreements, democracy, the rule of law, and standards for the environment and labour practices, these are all welcomed in Ukraine, and of course we take them for granted in Canada.
CUFTA is an important agreement, particularly for our friends in Ukraine. Their country has faced tumultuous times over the past number of years, countering Russian aggression that culminated in the annexation of Crimea.
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The Canada-Ukraine friendship is an important one. In fact, Canada was the first western country to recognize Ukraine’s independence, back in 1991. Today, more than 1.3 million Canadians have Ukrainian heritage. They are very proud of this heritage and their cultural traditions
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I would like to end by reiterating that New Democrats intend to support the Canada–Ukraine free trade agreement at second reading. I have outlined some concerns with the agreement that we would like to see addressed. However, I have also outlined many benefits of the agreement. It would allow us to strengthen our historic friendship with Ukraine and would benefit various Canadian exporters.
