The Harper Conservatives have little reason to brag about the belated resolution to the Buy American trade dispute, Liberal International Trade Critic Scott Brison said today.
“The Conservative government has capitulated to a deal they rejected over a year ago,” said Mr. Brison. “Stephen Harper has failed to get any significant concessions from President Obama, after sniffing around for a deal for months on end.
“Canadian companies have lost out on billions in contracts while the Conservatives haggled over the same agreement that was on the table all along.”
$200 billion out of $275 billion in US infrastructure spending is already out the door, while the rest will soon expire. This mean the new deal comes too late for most Canadian companies to benefit before the stimulus program expires.
“This is a face-saving exercise with very little real benefit to Canadian companies,” said Mr. Brison. “Minister Van Loan says he’s ‘not going to cry over spilt milk in the past’ – which makes his government’s foot-dragging over this deal all that more insensitive to Canadians who lost their jobs because of Buy American.”
“It leaves us with little confidence that the Conservatives can protect Canada from future Buy American provisions. Nonetheless, it’s important to get this treaty ratified as quickly as possible.”
The Conservatives promised in their 2006 platform that all international treaties will be placed before Parliament for ratification.
“Stephen Harper should call back the House of Commons today so that we can debate and ratify this treaty – otherwise it will take a month to get this agreement ratified.”
Background:
The Harper Conservatives on Buy American one year ago:
“This government and the diplomats of this government have been on top of this issue, weeks before the official opposition even heard about it.” (Stephen Harper, Hansard, February 3, 2009)
“We would like to find a solution before the president visits Canada. We don’t know if it’s possible … it’s our aim to find a solution before that time.” (Stockwell Day, Montreal Gazette, February 3, 2009)
The Harper Conservatives on Buy American today:
“I am not going to cry over spilled milk in the past.” (Peter Van Loan, February 5, 2009).
