By Troy Gillard

Canola, tariffs, market access

MPs Dreeshen, Allison host roundtable to discuss trade issues

Apr 15, 2019 | 3:54 PM

Conservative MPs Earl Dreeshen (Red Deer – Mountain View) and Dean Allison (Niagara West, Shadow Minister for International Trade) held a roundtable on Monday with local stakeholders regarding international trade issues.

“We are hearing a great deal of concern from local businesses in Central Alberta and, frankly, right across the country,” Dreeshen said in a release. “There is so much uncertainty facing a number of industries right now. These issues are only going to get worse unless the Trudeau Liberals start to take them seriously.”

China’s decision to ban $2 billion worth of Canadian exports is widely seen as retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of the founder of telecom giant Huawei, at the behest of the United States. There are around 43,000 canola farmers in Canada.

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Dreeshen points out there are also market access issues with pulses to India, wheat to Italy and barley to Saudi Arabia that are hampering Canadian agricultural producers.

In addition, Dreeshen says steel and aluminum tariffs are costing Canadian businesses hundreds of millions of dollars, there is constant threat to the softwood lumber industry, and Western Canada is still fighting to get coastal access for our energy products.

“While the Liberals have been focused on the Prime Minister’s scandals – the small businesses we are hearing from need the federal government to step up and get to work on these files,” added Dreeshen.

“Justin Trudeau’s leadership on international trade has delivered terrible results. Our small businesses and farmers across the country – particularly in Alberta and the Prairies – are suffering,” Allison added.

“Today, and once again, I heard how poorly Trudeau is handling our trade relationships and our economy.”

(With file from media release, The Canadian Press)