Calkins: Getting trade issues right
After a welcome Christmas Break, I am currently preparing to head back to Ottawa for the winter session of the House of Commons. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and rang in the new year in good health.
One thing I kept hearing from constituents across the riding is the failure of the Trudeau Liberal government to secure a renegotiated NAFTA deal. Considering that approximately 85% of Alberta’s exports are sent to the United States, NAFTA termination could have a devastating impact on our province. In total around 13% of Alberta jobs, or over 300 000 jobs, are directly linked to U.S.-exports. Additionally, overall Canada-U.S. trade amounts to over $800 Billion per year. Therefore, it is crucially important that the Government of Canada secures a renegotiated NAFTA agreement that protects Canadian jobs and businesses.
Without NAFTA, local farmers and businesses in Red Deer – Lacombe would face tariffs when exporting their goods to the United States. As our largest trading partner these tariffs would have a direct and immediate impact on the bottom line of local businesses and negatively impact our economy with the potential to severely affect the local labor market.
In early January, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer and his team of Shadow Ministers travelled to Washington, D.C. to fight for a new NAFTA deal. We are working alongside the Government of Canada to present a united front on behalf of Canada in the face of protectionist U.S. trade policies. My Conservative colleagues and I are regularly consulting with concerned businesses and industry groups and our US counterparts regarding the importance of NAFTA’s survival.