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International Trade

During question period on international trade, the Bloc Québécois said the Prime Minister has made a series of concessions to the United States, including scrapping the digital services tax, dropping retaliatory tariffs, and cancelling a levy on American online broadcasters, without getting anything in return, and asked whether provinces like Quebec were being asked to concede as well. The Bloc also pointed to Bill C-5’s powers to suspend laws for projects like pipelines and to Bill C-30 on pesticides, saying these choices benefit American companies. The Liberals said the government is ready to enter trade negotiations, described a strong Canada as one that builds major projects with Canadian workers and materials, and said the Bloc opposes such projects. Some of the exchange was taken up by the two parties trading criticism over the Bloc’s opposition to a high-speed rail project.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

4 statements

Christine Normandin

Bloc Québécois

Linked statement

“The Prime Minister keeps giving in to Donald Trump on trade without getting anything back. Did he ask Quebec and the provinces to give in to the United States too?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps granting concession after concession to Donald Trump. By July, the PM had already scrapped the digital services tax on U.S. tech giants. In August, he dropped Canada’s retaliatory tariffs. This week, he cancelled the levy on American online broadcasters, and he did all of this without getting anything in return. The Prime Minister met with Quebec and the provinces today, and rumour has it that he brought up their boycott of American alcohol. Did the Prime Minister ask them to follow his lead and grant further concessions?

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Steven MacKinnon

Liberal
“We are ready to negotiate trade deals. The Bloc Québécois is only asking these questions to distract people because Quebec mayors and newspapers criticized them yesterday for opposing high-speed rail.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 7 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

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  • Government answer in Question Period

    Signal 14 of 100

    Much of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the government is more than ready to enter into trade negotiations, but why are the Bloc Québécois members asking these questions? It is because they had a very bad day yesterday after their fierce opposition to the high-speed rail project. The mayors of Quebec’s big cities have denounced the Bloc’s position. Even Le Journal de Montréal has criticized their position, saying they have shot themselves in the foot. I can confirm that they have indeed shot themselves in the foot.

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Christine Normandin

Bloc Québécois
“The Prime Minister gave himself powers to pause laws for pipelines and to bring back banned pesticides. These choices help American companies instead of Canadians.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, for CUSMA, the Prime Minister’s concessions to the Americans go even further. Through Bill C-5, he has granted himself the power to suspend laws in order to build new pipelines. The big winners are the shareholders of oil companies, 60% of whom are American. Under Bill C-30, he is granting himself the power to re-approve banned pesticides. The big winner is Bayer, which sells Monsanto’s American seeds and pesticides. The Prime Minister is concentrating power in his own hands, but it is the Americans who are benefiting from it. Is that really his definition of Canada strong?

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Steven MacKinnon

Liberal
“A strong Canada builds big projects with Canadian workers and materials to create opportunities for young people. The Bloc Québécois does not understand this and has never helped build it.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Signal 0 of 100

    Much of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I will provide the definition of Canada strong. It is a Canada that knows how to achieve great things, that knows how to build projects using Quebec and Canadian labour, Canadian materials, Canadian steel and Canadian aluminum. It is a society that knows how to dream, that takes charge of its own future, and that creates opportunities for its young people. That is what it means to build Canada strong. Unfortunately, the Bloc Québécois knows nothing about this, has never made decisions on this, and is not involved in this.

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