FAIT Committee Meeting

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 33

Thursday, October 18, 2001

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade met at 9:12 a.m. this day, in Room 371, West Block, the Vice-Chair, Jean Augustine, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Jean Augustine, Aileen Carroll, Bill Casey, John Duncan, John Harvard, Stan Keyes, Francine Lalonde, Diane Marleau, Keith Martin, Pat O'Brien, Pierre Paquette, Bernard Patry, Svend Robinson.

Acting Member present: Mac Harb for George Baker.

In attendance: From the Parliamentary Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: James Lee, Gerald Schmitz and Peter Berg, Research Officers.

Witnesses: From the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Marie-Lucie Morin, Director General, Trade Commissioner Service Planning and Policy; Sara S. Hradecky, Director, Export Financing Division; Wayne Robson, Deputy Director, Export Financing Division; Martin Jensen, Officer, Export Financing Division. From Probe International: Patricia Adams, Executive Director. From the North-South Institute: Heather Gibb, Senior Researcher. From the NGO Working Group on the Export Development Corporation, Halifax Initiative Coalition: Émilie Revil, Coordinator. From Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives: Kathy Price, Latin America Human Rights Researcher and Policy Advocate, Kairos.

The Order of Reference dated Tuesday, October 2, 2001, being now read as follows:

ORDERED, -- That Bill C-31, an act to amend the Export Development Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, be read the second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

The Chair called Clause 1.

Marie-Lucie Morin made an opening statement and, with Wayne Robson and Martin Jensen, answered questions.

At 10:22 a.m., by unanimous consent, Mac Harb presented the Second Report of the Sub-Committee on International Trade, Trade Disputes and Investment which is as follows:

The Sub-Committee on International Trade, Trade Disputes and Investment of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade has the honour to present its

SECOND REPORT

In accordance with its Order of Reference of Tuesday, October 2, 2001, your Sub-Committee has considered Bill C-32, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica, and agreed on Wednesday, October 17, 2001, to report it without amendments.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 11) is tabled.

Respectfully submitted,

Mac Harb

Chair

Pierre Paquette moved, --That the Report be amended by adding immediately after line 7 on page 4 of Bill C-32, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica, the following new clause:

“3.1. For greater certainty, the Agreement may not be used as a model for any other bilateral free trade agreement, and any future negotiations relating to sugar must take place in a multilateral context.”

Debate arose.

The question was put on the amendment, and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS

NAYS

Mac Harb moved, --That the Report be concurred in.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS

NAYS

The Bill carried.

Ordered, --That the Chair report Bill C-32 to the House.

At 10:52 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:58, the sitting resumed.

The Committee resumed consideration of Bill C-31, An act to amend the Export Development Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

Patricia Adams, Heather Gibb, Émilie Revil and Kathy Price, each made an opening statement and answered questions.

At 12:07 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Stephen Knowles

Clerk of the Committee