Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canada Well-Positioned To Handle Turmoil Over NAFTA Talks: Finance Minister

The Canadian Press, 06 Mar, 2018 01:00 PM
    VANCOUVER — A strong economy is allowing Canadian officials to push for a better deal in negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Tuesday.
     
     
    Talks on the deal are "critically important" but Canada will remain firm in getting the best possible agreement, he told the Business Council of British Columbia.
     
     
    "Are there challenges? Yes. Do we need to be prepared to deal with them? Yes. We think that having our economy in the best possible position is the place from which we can do that, make decisions in a measured way, considering all the facts at hand," he said.
     
     
    The government's latest budget included measures to expand trade around the world, particularly in Asia, and the financial plan is fiscally responsible, which means Canada can hold out for a better deal on NAFTA, Morneau added.
     
     
     
     
    "We are going to continue to put forth why we don't agree with some ideas that were put forth on the table by the United States. We've been pretty firm in that approach. We think that Canadians support us, that getting to a better deal is the way we should address this," he said.
     
     
    Challenges to the economy come from within Canada, too, Morneau said, including the ongoing battle over the future of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion between the Edmonton area and Metro Vancouver.
     
     
    "I'll acknowledge that the current challenged between B.C. and Alberta is one of those frustrating things that happen in a democracy, but we need to deal with it," he said.
     
     
    The government is overhauling the approval process for similar projects, Morneau said, adding the key to finding a solution is giving potential interveners an opportunity to voice their views as early as possible and implementing timelines that will give businesses certainty.
     
     
    "What we can say is that the previous process wasn't working," Morneau said.
     
     
    The finance minister also lauded investments his government made in science, research and gender equality in last week's budget, but acknowledged the promises come with large price tags.
     
     
     
     
    The financial plan forecast continued deficits, breaking a campaign promise the Liberals made in 2015 to return to balanced budgets by the end of the party's mandate.
     
     
    Morneau said the investments have put the country in a better fiscal position than it was on election day, and he won't get "fussed on the exact numbers," but the position will continue to improve.
     
     
    "You start adding it up and you say these are investments in the future of Canada. And we think they're prudent and appropriate. We also know that we can do them from a position of strength while continuing to be fiscally responsible," he said.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Young Adults Out Of Foster Care Get $7.7-Million Funding Boost From B.C. Government

    Young Adults Out Of Foster Care Get $7.7-Million Funding Boost From B.C. Government
    Those young adults will now get more support for rent, child care and health care, while they go back to school or attend a rehabilitation, vocational or approved life skills program.

    Young Adults Out Of Foster Care Get $7.7-Million Funding Boost From B.C. Government

    Retirement Savings Fund Launched To Support Ezra Levant's Rebel Media

    Retirement Savings Fund Launched To Support Ezra Levant's Rebel Media
    TORONTO — Ezra Levant's Rebel Media has teamed up with a wealth management firm to launch a retirement saving fund geared toward Canadians who want to invest in the highly controversial and conservative online news site.

    Retirement Savings Fund Launched To Support Ezra Levant's Rebel Media

    How Many Millionaires? Newfoundlanders' $60M Lotto Win To Be Confirmed Soon

    How Many Millionaires? Newfoundlanders' $60M Lotto Win To Be Confirmed Soon
    The Atlantic Lottery Corporation says it will confirm within 24 hours just how many Newfoundlanders have been made instant millionaires, after a group won a history-making Lotto Max $60 million jackpot.

    How Many Millionaires? Newfoundlanders' $60M Lotto Win To Be Confirmed Soon

    Airbnb Will Vet Homes Listed Through A New Tier Of Rentals Launches In Toronto

    A press release from the home-rental organization says its new Airbnb Plus program vets homes offered in the tier with a checklist of over 100 factors, including cleanliness, design and comfort.

    Airbnb Will Vet Homes Listed Through A New Tier Of Rentals Launches In Toronto

    Truce Called, Wine Flows Again, In B.C.-Alberta Trade War Over Pipeline

    Truce Called, Wine Flows Again, In B.C.-Alberta Trade War Over Pipeline
    VICTORIA — The Alberta government accepted an olive branch from British Columbia and suspended its ban on the province's wine Thursday in a dispute over the Trans Mountain pipeline.

    Truce Called, Wine Flows Again, In B.C.-Alberta Trade War Over Pipeline

    Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan Says Military Working To Settle Class Action Suits Out Of Court

    Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan Says Military Working To Settle Class Action Suits Out Of Court
    OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the military is looking to settle several class-action lawsuits filed by members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

    Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan Says Military Working To Settle Class Action Suits Out Of Court