The federal Conservative government has relaunched the parliamentary debate on approving a Canada-Colombia free trade deal and this time it plans to thwart opposition plans to scuttle it.
The deal, strongly supported by many Canadian agricultural lobbies, including the Canadian Wheat Board, was the first bill tabled by the Conservatives in the new parliamentary session.
In the last session, the Bloc Québécois and New Democratic Party opponents refused to let the bill come to a vote to send it to committee. They say Canada should not be signing trade deals with human rights abusing regimes like Colombia.
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On March 24, trade minister Peter Van Loan launched the debate by claiming that the deal will boost Colombia’s prosperity and help it deal with its violent political culture while giving Canadian business new market opportunities.
“The prairie provinces will benefit from the agreement,” he said. “The immediate removal of Colombian tariffs from such cornerstone crops as wheat, barley and pulses will make these products from the Canadian Prairies even more competitive in the Colombian economy.”
Liberals said they will vote for the bill once Van Loan accepted a proposal that the bill include a promise to have an annual report on human rights impacts in the two countries.
And once NDP and BQ MPs indicated their intention to continue opposing and trying to delay, government House leader Jay Hill announced that debate will be limited and a vote taken to send the bill to committee this spring.
