Fast dismisses concerns over delays in finalizing European, China … – Regina Leader-Post
OTTAWA – Only technicalities stand in the way of Canada concluding major trade and investment agreements with Europe and China despite growing unease over long delays in ratification, federal Trade Minister Ed Fast insisted on Thursday.
The agreements — a comprehensive trade deal in principle with the European Union and a foreign investment deal with China — are lynchpins in the Harper government’s free trade agenda aimed at spreading Canadian trade and investment around the world.
The former was signed to some fanfare and much controversy in November 2012, the latter last October. But both have languished in limbo since.
In testimony before the Commons trade committee, the minister insisted under questioning that both the China FIPA and the EU trade agreement remain priorities for the government and are not stalled.
Fast said his government has not concluded ratification of the deal with China because of ongoing litigation by the Hupacasath First Nation in B.C. to block the deal. The Federal Court ruled against the Hupacasath last August, but the band of about 300 has appealed.
