Stronach Saddened by Failure of Leadership in International Policy Statement
OTTAWA-- Belinda Stronach, Member of Parliament for Newmarket-Aurora and Official Opposition Critic for International Trade, today expressed her deep disappointment with the report of the International Policy Statement (IPS) dealing with international commerce released today in Ottawa.
“After months of delay, the country is no further ahead today than it was yesterday in setting its trade priorities and strategies, and this is a failure of leadership by the Prime Minister,” said Stronach.
“This is a Liberal-style mission statement -- and not the dynamic action plan we had hoped to see. There are no timetables and targets for anything.”
“There is virtually nothing new here, no bold thinking, no strategic decision-making to make choices. The statement is filled with promises to consult, to have dialogues, to work harder – all along the same worn path.”
Stronach observed that the statement retreats in fear from providing leadership and a decisive plan that would put our national trade priority squarely on getting it right with the United States and China. The United States is, like it or not, the engine of our current prosperity; and China will be the future of new success.
“More consultation will not retool the dispute settlement mechanism of the NAFTA or overturn the Byrd Amendment,” stated Stronach. “There should have been a political commitment to pursue a new set of concrete negotiations on dispute settlement and a political action plan for engaging the United States systematically at the Cabinet level.”
Stronach pointed out that the ability of the government to actually help Canadian companies reach new success in international trade is compromised by the turmoil still surrounding the split of the Department of International Trade from Foreign Affairs. Even though that scheme was defeated roundly in the House of Commons, it remains a piece of unfinished business that pollutes the policy environment.
“Before the government can have any chance of delivering a coherent trade strategy, it has to fix the incoherence in the Pearson Building,”
