Federal trade minister Jim Peterson says opposition parties will damage Canada’s ability to defend farm interests at World Trade Organization negotiations next month if they vote to bring down the government.
He said it is unclear if he or agriculture minister Andy Mitchell would be able to attend the Hong Kong WTO negotiation Dec. 13-18 if an election was called later this month.
“We’re asking for decisions as to whether were there to be an election, ministers could be representing Canada there,” he told a news conference. “If we were not allowed to, it would be a travesty. This is one of the reasons why I want to see an election put off.”
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However, Peterson said ministers’ credibility would be diminished even if they were able to attend.
“If there were a vote of confidence in this House before the WTO, even if we were there and it were during a writ period, our position would be weakened,” he said.
“We would not be able to speak with the same authority on behalf of the people of Canada and on behalf of the Parliament of Canada and this to me would be doing a great disservice to our country.”
Opposition parties are widely expected to team up to defeat the government by Nov. 29.
While there is no constitutional rule against ministers attending international conferences during elections, there is an assumption that decisions should not be made or treaties signed that will bind future governments. There also is the question of whether campaigning politicians can afford to take a week out of their re-election campaigns to leave the country.
In particular, Mitchell is expected to be in a tough re-election campaign in his Ontario seat.
Peterson said that without ministers in Hong Kong providing political leadership in the “green room” where bargaining takes place, Canada would be on the sidelines.
“I think it would be a travesty if we did not have ministerial representation in the green room when final decisions are being made that have such an impact on our economic future.”
Last week, prime minister Paul Martin flew to South Korea for a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Community and he vowed to raise agricultural and WTO issues.
“The Doha Round, those negotiations are going to take place, you know, in December,” he told reporters. “And what we want to have is the strongest Canadian representation possible in order to protect Canadian agriculture and Canadian exporters.”
