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MP’s REPORT: New Trade Agreement

October 3, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Kyle Peterson, MP
Newmarket-Aurora

The fall legislative session has been in full swing, and it has been a busy couple of weeks in Ottawa. Our government remains hard at work to ensure Canadians continue to have the opportunities to succeed.

The United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA)
Over the past year Canada’s top trade negotiators, led by Minister Chrystia Freeland, have been working hard to defend Canadian interests and ensure that we get a deal that is right for Canada. The negotiations were not easy, but throughout the process, Canada stood firm. On Monday, the Prime Minister announced that we had reached an agreement in principle with the United States and Mexico on an updated and modernized trade agreement – the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
When enacted, the USMCA will be good for Canadian workers, businesses, and families. It makes important progress for middle class workers, including those in the Canadian auto sector and cultural industries.
It preserves free trade across North America, and market access in a $25 trillion open market of 470 million people. It will preserve essential cross-border supply chains, and protects our cultural industries. Importantly, it maintains the impartial dispute resolution to ensure a level-playing field with rules and fairness for Canadians trading with an economy ten times our size.
This agreement was a true Team Canada effort. It would not have been possible without the tireless work of many people, from all walks of life and all political stripes. Canada has the best trade negotiators in the world, and we thank all Canadians for their support throughout this process. With USMCA, we can move ahead with confidence that the Canadian economy is secure and continue to expand our trade to new markets around the world.
As a member of the International Trade Committee, I was honoured to play a small role in the process. I remained optimistic that a deal could be reached, and I am pleased it has been. There is still work to do to finalize it, and there still remains some trade tension with the US, but reaching this deal has helped to reinforce the goodwill between our nations. I look forward to continuing to work on the file.

Around Town
I was proud to attend this year’s Magna student Hoedown in September. As always, this is a great event for our community. The 4th annual Student Hoedown was held on September 14 and saw over 800 students attend. Through partnership with the local school boards, the Student Hoedown ensures all students can enjoy the festivities regardless of their ability.
This year, Hoedown raised $538,105 for their charity recipients! It’s great to see the outpouring of support in our community for recipients such as Kerry’s Place Autism Services, Women’s Centre of York Region, Southlake Regional Health Centre, Learning Disabilities Association of York Region and many more. Thank you to all the volunteers and organizers who made this year’s Hoedown a terrific success! Without their commitment, dedication and passion, it would not have been possible.
On September 7, I attended the sold-out To Serve and Savour event hosted by York Regional Police and Wounded Warriors Canada, this event was a great evening of live music and food with all proceeds benefitting Wounded Warriors Canada – an organization providing mental health supports to ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members, our veterans, first responders and their families. Thanks to all who attended in support of all those who have served, and raised $500,000. Thank you to all the volunteers and organizers for your hard work!
On September 8, Aurora held it’s Multicultural Festival, a day full of beautiful stage performances, delicious food samples from around the world celebrating diversity in our community. I enjoyed seeing many residents out to partake in the festivities and enjoy the good weather.
Congratulations to Central York Girls Hockey Association on your 25th Anniversary Season and has now grown to close to 1,000 female hockey players. It was a pleasure to attend the celebrations held at the Aurora Community Centre on Sunday September 20, 2018. 144 players showcased all levels of hockey. Hall of Fame Angela James and Olympic medalists Natalie Spooner, Renata Fast, Sarah Nurse, Laura Stacey and Jocelyn Larocque were on hand for photos and autographs. The celebrations capped off with an exhibition game between the Markham Thunder and Toronto Furies. Thanks to the volunteers for a fantastic event!
As a reminder, you can reach out to my office and my staff at any time. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need any information or assistance with federal matters.
We are located at 16600 Bayview Avenue, Suite 202. You can reach us at 905-953-7515 or by email at Kyle.Peterson@parl.gc.ca.

         

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