Maninder Sidhu
Brampton East, Ontario · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for that very important question. The national contact point does amazing work to make sure that our supply chains are protected against forced labour. We will continue making sure that it does this diligent work. In terms of the CORE, we will make a decision in due course.”
“Mr. Speaker, our international efforts are about bringing results home for workers here in Canada. I will talk about our trip to China in January and the $7 billion dollars of agriculture access to China for our farmers across the country. That is more access for our canola growers, our beef farmers and our seafood sector.”
“Mr. Speaker, investments coming into Canada are at record levels, actually close to 20-year highs. Last year alone, there was $97 billion of foreign direct investment into Canada. That is more major projects being built. That is major, big aircraft being built here in Canada. Airbus has a current deal with Mirabel.”
“Madam Speaker, we are building big projects across the country to create new opportunities and new jobs through the new build communities strong fund.”
“Mr. Speaker, this is not a Google search. These are real projects with real workers building big things. There is Darlington's new nuclear project in Bowmanville and its 18,000 jobs; the Port of Montreal expansion and its 8,000 jobs; the copper mine project in Saskatchewan and its 500 jobs; the Grays Bay road and port project, which is en…”
“Mr. Speaker, to get more Canadian exports to new markets and create jobs, we are championing major projects like the Darlington nuclear project with 18,000 jobs in Ontario; the port of Montreal project, 8,000 jobs; the copper mine project in Saskatchewan, 500 jobs; the Grays Bay road and port project, nearly 3,000 jobs in the north; and t…”
The complete record
Every one of 203 lines we hold for Maninder Sidhu, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 5.
“Mr. Speaker, currently, about 3.3 million people are employed due to our exports. They are an important part of our economy. One in six Canadian jobs is supported by trade, and I think it is important, while we work on reducing internal trade barriers, that we ensure that export markets are opened up as well.”
“Mr. Speaker, coming back to the heart of things, I think it is important that our workers and our industries are supported by their government, and that is exactly what we will be focused on. We will be building big things, working with proponents across Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, when we are talking about our defence strategy and what we just recently announced, I think energy plays a critical role in those conversations. We are going to see more of that at the G7. It is actually one of the pillars for talking about energy security, talking about critical minerals and what Canada has to offer.”
“Mr. Speaker, we have products going out to different regions in the world. When we are talking about energy, I think we have a lot of potential. We just recently signed a deal on nuclear with Romania on the CANDU reactors. We are now in phase two. That is supporting hundreds of jobs. We have different types of energy supplies going out to different—”
“Mr. Speaker, the world is looking to Canada for our expertise in innovation and energy. I was born in Calgary, so I have a soft spot for that part of our country, especially when we talk about energy. I think it is very important to note that people want what Canada is building.”
“Mr. Speaker, I support Canadian jobs; I support Canadian industry. I think it is very important to note that the world wants what Canada has. That is what I am hearing in the European Union, that is what I was hearing in Ecuador and that is—”
“Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of actions we are going to be taking as the government. This is a new government with a strong mandate from Canadians to make sure that we are able to get our critical minerals, our energy, out to new markets around the world, and that is what the world wants.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are known for a lot of different types of energy supplies. We have sustainable energy; we are talking about the nuclear sector, and we are talking about LNG. There are a lot of things that Canada has to offer to the world, and that is what the world wants from Canada. That will be a critical conversation at the G7 coming up on energy security.”
“Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question. At the G7, we will be talking about energy security, as it plays a critical role in Canada's negotiation power. Of course, Canada has what the world needs. We have energy, critical minerals, expertise and innovation, so we have a lot of what the world needs.”
“Mr. Speaker, this gives me a chance to highlight our recent announcement in the defence sector. Our defence sector plays a crucial role in our exports, and I look forward to working with the industry to get it into newer markets, as well as growing into existing markets such as the European Union.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member opposite for his recent election win and welcome him to the House. The member is talking about new markets. My first trip was to Ecuador. I was sworn in, and a week later I was in Ecuador to finalize negotiations on a trade agreement. We are working with Indonesia as well to unlock more markets there, and we have committed to finalizing an agreement with that government as well.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that we will always be there for our agriculture sector, but that is out of my scope. That is a question for the Minister of Agriculture . However, I want the agriculture industry to know that we will continue fighting for it and opening up new markets.”
“Mr. Speaker, last week in my meeting with Minister Wang, we talked about reopening JETC, which is the Joint Economic and Trade Commission, to have ongoing discussions to work through disputes, which is a great step forward. Also, the Prime Minister had a conversation with the Premier of China to talk about what more we can do to have more of these conversations to resolve these disputes.”
“Mr. Speaker, last week in Paris, I met with over a dozen trade ministers from regions all around the world. They want what Canada is producing, so we have a lot of opportunities for trade diversification, and that is exactly what I will be focused on.”
“Mr. Speaker, trade is at the heart of what we do. It is important to note that the WTO plays a very prominent role to make sure that trade rules are protected. These trade panels could take up to a year, but we want to make sure that we are dealing in fair trade with all of our partners.”
“Mr. Speaker, coming back to the conversation at hand, the U.S. is an important partner for Canada. These are some of the issues and irritants that our Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade is working through with his U.S. counterparts.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I said, the canola industry is very important to our government. Today I heard about opportunities in the Philippines. The Philippines is a large market for the industry. We also opened up a new agriculture office in Manila to help with that.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that Indonesia is a market that we recently concluded negotiations with. Ecuador is another market that we recently concluded negotiations with. Indonesia is a big market, with over 250 million people; also, the Philippines is having conversations as well. What I heard today from the agriculture sector is the Indo-Pacific region—”
“Mr. Speaker, last week in Paris, I met directly with my counterpart, Minister Wang, the minister of commerce, to work through these issues. The Prime Minister talked to the Chinese premier to work through issues as well. Conversations are happening at the highest levels.”
“Mr. Speaker, today I sat down with agriculture leaders, especially in the canola sector, and what they asked me to do was to work through issues with China and to open up new markets. That is exactly what we will be focused on.”
“Mr. Speaker, the canola industry is very important to this government. That is why, today, I met with leaders from the canola industry. I was also in Paris last week, where I sat down with China's minister of commerce, Wang Wentao, to work through some of these issues.”
“Mr. Speaker, the deal that was referred to involved quotas; it involved restrictions on Canadian softwood lumber. That is not the deal we want to get signed. We want to make sure we get the best deal possible for Canadian lumber.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that while the previous Conservative government capitulated and signed any deal possible, we want to make sure we get the right deal for Canadians by protecting the industry and ensuring that tariffs do not apply to our important softwood lumber industry.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am working with the Minister responsible for U.S.-Canada Trade to make sure we are able to work through this with our American allies. It is important to note that the softwood lumber industry is very important to our government.”
“Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber industry, whether in B.C., in Ontario, across Canada, in Quebec or in eastern Canada, is a very important industry to us as a government and to the workers. We will continue to support them, but we want to make sure we get the best deal possible.”
“Mr. Speaker, trade flows in many different ways through services and through merchandise. I think it is important to note that Canadian companies, and today I met with members of the agriculture sector, expect us to diversify our trading markets, especially in—”
“Mr. Speaker, I think we need to come back to the issue at hand. Canadians want us to stay focused on trade diversification, especially the Minister of International Trade. That question would be more related to CBSA and to the Minister of Public Safety .”
“Mr. Speaker, as you know, my mandate is to help diversify trade around the world for Canadian businesses. That is what Canadian businesses expect us to do, especially when we go through some difficulties with our neighbour down south, and that is what my focus will be as a trade minister.”
“Mr. Speaker, I think it is very important, when we come back to it, that the U.S. is an important partner for Canada. We know companies rely on trade with the U.S., but as we rely on that trade, we want to make sure we open up new markets around the world. That is what our businesses are asking for at this time, and I will continue to focus on that as the Minister of Trade.”
“Mr. Speaker, of course, our EV sector, our auto sector, is very important, especially in my neck of the woods. In Brampton, we have Stellantis, right in my riding. I think it is important that we continue to support the workers and the industry through innovation and through—”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member on his critic role. I look forward to working with him. Of course, the U.S. is an important trading partner, and discussions are happening at the highest levels.”
“Madam Chair, as I was saying, the Prime Minister had a discussion with the premier in China. These discussions are ongoing at the highest levels to ensure that we continue to ensure that Canadian companies have—”
“Madam Chair, it is important that we protect the industry. Today I met with representatives of the canola industry, and we talked about tariffs and about markets we can open up. These are discussions that are happening at the highest levels to—”
“Yes, Madam Chair, the Philippines provides ample opportunities. Earlier today, I met with leaders from the agriculture sector who talked about the agriculture office that we opened in Manila, Philippines, and the type of opportunities that office is providing. Now we see more of our beef going to that region and more of our meat products going to the Philippines. It is an important region that we want to continue to build on, and of course the Filipino community in Winnipeg plays a crucial role in growing those relationships.”
“Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for that very important question about working with all parliamentarians. It is about working with committees. It is about working to grow existing trade relationships, but also creating new ones. In working together, working with ambassadors in this country and working with committees, it is very important that we all play a role, because trade impacts all of our communities. One in six jobs depends on trade. It is very important that we continue working together as parliamentarians through committees and through our relationships to grow trade.”
“Madam Chair, I got sworn in, and in my very first week we were running out the door and making sure we are representing this country really well. I attended the inauguration of President Noboa. Ecuador is an important market for us, roughly 20 million people. We have marked the conclusion of negotiations on a trade agreement that will be coming to Parliament for ratification very soon. There are regional partners we want to work with, so it was important for me to attend that inauguration to connect with regional leaders. We know, especially when we talk about Mercosur and our mandate letter, that there are many opportunities in the region that we want to continue to grow.”
“Madam Chair, that is a very important question from my colleague. Canada is very lucky to have a diverse group of citizens from all around the world who help bring relationships together. In my community of Brampton, we have a growing African diaspora, including Kenyans and those from Nigeria, who are coming together and really pushing trade. I was actually in Kenya last year, where we talked about some of the relationships that we can grow and some of the opportunities around clean technology and sustainable energy. The diaspora across Canada, from different regions around the world, plays an important role in bringing trade together and really expanding our relationships.”
“Madam Chair, that is a very important question around trade agreements and why they are important to our economy. Currently, Canada has 15 trade agreements, opening access to over 50 countries and 1.5 billion consumers. When we sign a trade agreement, it is not only about trade; it is also about investments, so that sends a clear signal to Canadian investors and Canadian expertise to create jobs in communities across Canada. It is very important to note how many trade agreements we have and how much more room we have to grow those trade agreements.”
“I would also like to take a moment to thank all of the officials, including my deputy minister, for all their support in making sure that businesses are able to diversify trade. Together, we can make Canada the G7-leading economy.”
“EDC has also opened new representation in Japan, Vietnam and Philippines and served over 1,500 clients, as I said, with $13 billion in trade in the Indo-Pacific. The new government is committed to supporting businesses in expanding and diversifying their trade in markets around the world. Fortunately, we have a real advantage. I know that Canada is home to some of the most driven and competitive entrepreneurs, innovators and workers on the planet. Every day, they are out there building, creating and pushing themselves in new directions. That is why this government will make sure that we do everything possible to help them realize their full potential on the global stage by building up new opportunities and encouraging trade diversification.”
“Trade diversification also means helping under-represented groups such as women, youth, indigenous peoples, visible minorities and 2SLGBTQ2+ entrepreneurs reach new markets. Canada's trade commissioner service is there to support members of these groups along their export journey, in collaboration with EDC and other partners. The new government will also provide the necessary policy direction to other partners in the trade portfolio. This includes Canada's export credit agency, Export Development Canada, better known as EDC. I am also pleased to report that EDC is continuing to help drive Canada's diversification. The corporation served over 1,500 customers and facilitated $13 billion in business in the Indo-Pacific region, just last year.”
“Let me highlight the fact that 80% of the services were for markets outside of North America. The trade commissioner service facilitated 1,300 business deals. Clients estimate the value of these deals to be over $6 billion. What is more is that the trade commissioner service boasts a client satisfaction rate of over 90%. The trade commissioner service also administers the CanExport program, which includes about $38 million approved last year to help over 1,700 small and mid-sized businesses enter new export markets. The new government will ensure that the trade commissioner service has the right tools and resources to continue providing effective support to Canadian companies as they look to diversify abroad.”
“In seeking out new opportunities overseas, Canadian businesses will be able to count on the support of Canada's trade commissioner service. Based in over 160 locations, Canada's trade commissioners provide tailored and practical advice to help businesses make the best decisions in their international business development. The trade commissioner service has offices all over Canada and the world, connecting real Canadian businesses with opportunities in other markets. This navigation is crucial to breaking down trade barriers for these businesses. Over 98% of businesses in Canada are small businesses, and we need to do whatever we can to support them. (1925) In terms of impact, I will let the numbers for last year speak for themselves. The trade commissioner service served over 10,000 Canadian clients.”
“Our new government will ensure that Canadian companies are well supported as they pursue new opportunities in overseas markets, including those created by Canada's free trade agreements. Team Canada trade missions will be a part of this effort. In recent times, trade missions have introduced nearly 800 Canadian organizations to new partners and opportunities in nine Indo-Pacific markets. They have generated over 4,000 business meetings, and they have led to concrete outcomes for Canadian companies, many of which I visited. I would like to congratulate Canada's chief trade commissioner on leading the most recent team Canada trade mission to Thailand and Cambodia in May. This was an opportunity to showcase Canadian innovation and capabilities in fast-growing markets.”
“That tells us there are opportunities out there for growth, and I will sharply focus on showcasing Canadian expertise in multiple sectors in the region. They include agriculture, fishing, food products, consumer goods, energy, defence and aerospace. Building these international connections is key to expanding our reach and realizing the full benefits of these agreements. That is why it was a great privilege for me to represent Canada in Ecuador at the inauguration of President Noboa just a couple of weeks ago. While there, I focused on strengthening the relationships that will help both our countries implement and benefit from the free trade agreement we negotiated and concluded recently. I also had the opportunity to connect with regional leaders to strengthen ties between our respective nations.”
“We will also look to strengthen our relationships with European partners. The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, also known as CETA, the free trade agreement in place between Canada and Europe, has already accelerated trade and investment between us and the European Union. We will keep working to further strengthen these transatlantic ties and ensure more opportunities for Canadians. While we look to expand and sign new agreements, we also must not forget that we have much more room to grow our utilization rates for our current trade agreements. Take, for example, CETA, which I previously mentioned. At this moment, our utilization rate is around 60%, and we can get that much higher.”
“For Canadian businesses, that means access to a vast and growing market, with opportunities across a wide range of sectors. Canada's trade and investment in Southeast Asia are expanding quickly across many sectors, including in natural resources, clean technologies, agriculture and agri-food, information and communication technologies, financial services, aerospace infrastructure and consumer goods. In addition, late last year, Canada concluded negotiations toward the Canada-Indonesia comprehensive economic partnership agreement, better known as CEPA. Indonesia is a fast-growing economy, and this agreement will put Canadian companies in a strong position to compete and succeed as Indonesia continues to grow. We look forward to bringing these new partnerships into force soon.”
“It is the world's fastest-growing region and home to six of Canada's top 13 trading partners. As a country, we cannot afford to forego opportunities for growth in overseas markets around the world. Canada remains committed to pursuing an ambitious trade agenda that opens new doors for our businesses and workers. Our new government will pursue trade agreements with the potential to open new opportunities and new markets for Canadian companies. These markets will give Canadian businesses opportunities to grow and succeed around the world. We will continue to push forward with negotiations for a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This is a dynamic group of 10 countries representing more than 600 million people.”
“Madam Chair, I look forward to working with the Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade as he advances discussions on this with our American counterparts. At the same time, Canada is ready to strengthen our trading relationships overseas, especially with partners who share our commitment to rules-based trade. Trade diversification is not just about avoiding the risks that come from relying too much on certain markets. It is also about helping us reach our full potential and positioning ourselves for success in tomorrow's global economy. Take, for example, the Indo-Pacific region. This region includes nations such as Brunei, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and many others. The Indo-Pacific is home to over four billion people and $47 trillion in economic activity.”
“This commitment extends to Canada's international trade agenda. Canada is very fortunate to have 15 trade agreements with over 50 countries around the world, giving us access to over 1.5 billion consumers. The new government will take a bold and ambitious approach to meet the needs of the moment, while remaining clear-eyed about our objectives for resilient growth. Establishing a new economic relationship with the United States is a priority. The United States is Canada's top export market, and Canada is a top destination for U.S. exports. A renewed framework for strong trade and commercial partnership is vital to prosperity on both sides of the border, and I look forward to supporting my colleague Minister LeBlanc as he advances discussions on this with our American counterparts.”