<aside> 🇺🇸 Canada - US Trade
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<aside> 🌎 Canada - US Country Relations
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<aside> 🇪🇺 Canada - EU Trade
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<aside> 🌎 Canada - EU Country Relations
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This section provides insight into the attitudes and opinions of Canada's political parties regarding CETA.
The Liberal party of Canada has supported CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) since it was introduced by Harper's Conservative government in 2013. Upon finalizing the deal, Trudeau did claim CETA was only ratified under the Liberal party's progressive approach which the Harper government lacked. The Liberal party believes CETA will provide Canadians with cheaper goods, increased opportunities for the middle class, and greater opportunities for small and medium businesses.
In their party platform, the Liberals acknowledge the threat to supply management posed by CETA. They have implemented financial support programs to help dairy producers and processors who have been negatively impacted by the increased competition.
In 2017, Trudeau revealed statistics showing how CETA has increased Canadian exports to the EU by 7%, while increasing imports by 9%.
The Conservative party of Canada believes the success of CETA comes from former Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his efforts to ratify a deal with the EU during his time in office. When he introduced the agreement, Harper claimed CETA would provide a $12 billion boost to Canada’s economy while also creating 80,000 new jobs. He followed by assuring Canadians the elimination of 98% of tariffs will provide Canadians with greater access to EU goods at lower costs (CETA: Canada-EU free trade deal lauded by Harper, Barroso).
In their 2019 party platform, the Conservatives suggested implementing an accelerator to help small and medium enterprises find customers in the EU.
The NDP has publicly criticized CETA for the many concessions made during negotiations when the Harper government introduced it and when the Trudeau government ratified it. Thomas Mulcair, then the leader of the NDP, and Don Davies, a Member of Parliament for the NDP, condemned the Harper government for the lack of transparency during negotiations. In 2014, Davies stated the EU Trade Committee regularly updated their members with negotiation progress while Harper chose to conduct closed-door negotiations.
In Parliament, Don Davies addressed the NDP’s concerns regarding the threat to supply management in which he said CETA would increase quotas on dairy products. Finally, from the beginning of trade negotiations, the NDP has spoken out against the investor-state dispute settlement clause. This clause allows foreign investors to sue the Canadian government outside of its courts for discriminatory practices which may effect their profits.
More recently, Jagmeet Singh, leader of the NDP, alongside fellow MP’s and Green party leader Elizabeth May, wrote a formal letter to France, urging them not to ratify CETA since they believe it does not favour the people. The letter argues CETA will endow large corporations with significant rights in areas of protection, patents, public service, regulatory harmonization, and food and agriculture.
The Green party has disapproved of CETA ever since it was introduced by the Harper government. Former leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May, stated the deal is undemocratic in nature due to the concessions being made which will hurt Canadians. Her primary concern is the threat posed by the investor-state dispute settlement clause since it hinders the ability of the government to protect domestic health, safety, and the environment. She also criticized CETA because of the threat it poses to supply management, as she believes that it will hurt Canadian dairy farmers as well as cause a rise in drug costs due to the extension of patents for large European Pharma companies.