CANADA ECONOMICS

NAFTA

1) Itinerary for February 9 to 10, 2018 Ottawa, Ontario - February 6, 2018

...

Itinerary for the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, for Friday, February 9, 2018:

Note: All times local

San Francisco, California

8:15 a.m. The Prime Minister will meet with the Governor of California, Jerry Brown.

Fairmont San Francisco Hotel

Note for media:

Pooled photo opportunity

9 a.m. The Prime Minister will meet with the Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom.

Fairmont San Francisco Hotel

Note for media:

Pooled photo opportunity

Los Angeles, California

2:20 p.m. The Prime Minister will arrive in Los Angeles, California.

Los Angeles International Airport

Note for media:

Photo opportunity upon arrival

6:15 p.m. The Prime Minister will deliver an address at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Air Force One Pavilion

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Note for media:

Open coverage

Media must RSVP with Melissa Giller: mgiller@reaganfoundation.org / 805-522-2977

Prime Minister to travel to the United States Ottawa, Ontario - January 19, 2018

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that he will travel to the United States from February 7 to 10, 2018.

This visit – which includes stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago – will provide an opportunity for the Prime Minister to further strengthen the deep bonds that unite Canada and the United States.

In the Los Angeles area, the Prime Minister will deliver remarks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley. During the remarks, he will underscore the interconnectedness of the Canada-U.S. economies.

In San Francisco, the Prime Minister will meet with local business leaders and entrepreneurs to explore opportunities for increased collaboration between our countries.

Before heading to California, the Prime Minister will meet with key officials in Chicago and deliver a speech at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics to highlight the importance of public service, and how it can contribute to a prosperous middle class and stronger Canada-U.S. economic and political ties.

Quote

“Canadians and Americans know we are all better off when we work together to grow the middle class, and create more opportunities for people on both sides of the border. I look forward to meeting with government and business leaders in the United States again to explore new opportunities for collaboration and growth, so we can build a more prosperous future for people in both countries.”

—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

• Prime Minister Trudeau last visited the United States in October 2017.
• Canada and the United States share one of the largest trading relationships in the world. Bilateral trade between the two countries was valued at nearly $882 billion in 2016, and Canada is the largest secure supplier of energy to the U.S.
• The two countries share the longest, secure border in the world, over which some 400,000 people and $2.4 billion worth of goods and services cross daily.
• Canada buys more goods from the United States than China, Japan, and the UK combined.
• Canada is the number one export destination for most American states, and cross-border trade and investment supports nearly nine millions jobs in the United States.

Canada and United States Relations: http://international.gc.ca/world-monde/united_states-etats_unis/relations.aspx?lang=eng

The Globe and Mail. 9 Feb 2018. Trudeau plays up Canadian diversity and education in bid for Amazon headquarters
TAMSIN McMAHON, U.S. CORRESPONDENT SAN FRANCISCO

They’re not coming because of incentives that we’ve offered … but because of the extraordinary Canadian work force.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU PRIME MINISTER

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he intends to promote Canada’s diversity and its educated work force to persuade Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos to choose Toronto for the company’s planned second headquarters, but signalled he’s not prepared offer the e-commerce giant any financial incentives to sweeten the deal.

Mr. Trudeau was to hold closed-door talks with Mr. Bezos at a downtown San Francisco hotel on Thursday afternoon as part of a visit to the city to meet with Silicon Valley executives. Ahead of the meeting, he said he planned to make the case for Toronto’s bid for Amazon.com Inc.’s new headquarters. But he said Canada’s education system, pro-business climate and access to international markets through trade deals have been enough to lure large technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft in the past, not tax breaks and subsidies.

“They’re not coming because of incentives that we’ve offered, which in most cases we haven’t, but because of the extraordinary Canadian work force,” Mr. Trudeau told reporters on Thursday.

“I’m going to continue to make that case to every business leader I meet, including Jeff Bezos.”

Amazon expects to spend up to US$5billion on a second headquarters, which it says will create 50,000 high-paying jobs. Toronto is the only non-U.S. city among the 20 that have made Amazon’s shortlist.

Mr. Trudeau described his meeting with Mr. Bezos as the latest in a multiyear effort to encourage the company to invest more in Canada. Amazon has also aggressively lobbied the Canadian government in recent months for contracts and policies tied to its cloud-based services.

The Prime Minister used his first visit to Silicon Valley to go on the charm offensive, seeking to woo tech firms to bring new investments to Canada based not just on the country’s economic benefits, but its diversity, openness to free trade and “forward-thinking” population. It was a receptive message in the deeply Democratic city of San Francisco, where large crowds blocked city streets to catch a glimpse of Mr. Trudeau. Business-software and services giant Salesforce projected a Canadian flag onto its offices in San Francisco’s financial district and the city was planning to light up its City Hall with red and white.

“Like you, we’re a city that values diversity, we value equality, and we also value innovation,” Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told Mr. Trudeau during a roundtable meeting on diversity that included senior executives from companies including Airbnb, PayPal, Google and Pinterest. At least some of that enthusiasm translated into new investment. Mr. Benioff announced Salesforce would invest an additional US$2-billion in Canada over the next five years, money that will be spread out over investments in real estate, data centre capacity and new hiring to add to the company’s existing Canadian work force of 1,300.

But the warm greeting in California comes amid mounting tensions between Canada and the United States over the renegotiation of the North American free-trade agreement.

Mr. Trudeau rejected the notion that Canada was standing in the way of progress on modernizing the trade deal, days after a U.S. government official said the United States was considering striking a separate agreement with Mexico. But he reiterated that Canada won’t accept a “bad deal” from the United States on NAFTA.

“We’re working very hard and seriously to get there, but we know that any deal has to be a win-win-win,” Mr. Trudeau said. “That means that we’re going to have to ensure that we’re standing up for Canadian interests as we move forward on a deal that works for everyone.”

BLOOMBERG. 9 February 2018. Old Economy Pains Shackle Canada’s Trudeau in Silicon Valley
By Josh Wingrove and Nico Grant

• Canadian PM dogged by oil pipeline issues, Nafta on tour
• Met Bezos after pledging to support brick-and-mortar retail

Justin Trudeau is caught between two economies, and his visit to San Francisco on Thursday showed why.

The Canadian leader zigzagged through the city for a series of tech meetings, hailed the benefits of immigrants to an industry thirsty for talent, had a private chat with Amazon.com Inc.’s Jeff Bezos, pitching Toronto for the retail giant’s second headquarters, and even picked up investments from Salesforce.com Inc. and AppDirect Inc. It’s in keeping with Trudeau’s aspiration to remake Canada as a tech leader -- with mixed results so far.

Dogging him, though, were some very immediate problems for Canada’s economy. They include divisions over an oil pipeline and questions about ongoing Nafta talks where the U.S., Canada and Mexico are digging in on distinctly analog industries that feel miles away from Silicon Valley, like manufacturing plants and dairy cows. Trudeau even took a veiled old school shot at Amazon, saying he’d defend brick-and-mortar retail amid calls from his own central bank to rein in powers of “superstar” tech firms.

It all underscores core tension for Trudeau, trying to spur a new economy while defending the one he has from, among other things, Donald Trump’s threats to walk away from Nafta and opponents at home of new resource projects.

‘Next Generation’
“Our focus is very much not just that the economy is good next week, but how could we make sure it’s good a decade from now, for the next generation,” Trudeau said Thursday.

Canada’s economy has been hot, leading the Group of Seven in growth in 2017 though it’s forecast to slip to third place this year as risks mount, including a slowdown in spending by the nation’s highly-indebted consumers and the country’s struggle to build the infrastructure to get its oil to market.

This week, a trade war even broke out between two provinces over a pipeline Trudeau has pledged to get built as he attempts another balancing act -- cutting emissions for a greener economy without kneecapping the lucrative oil sector that has driven much of Canadian growth in recent decades.

Another major risk is Nafta, with Trump regularly threatening to walk away if he doesn’t get a bigger deal. Chrystia Freeland, the Canadian minister leading talks on Trudeau’s behalf, told lawmakers in Ottawa on Thursday that significant differences remain. Trudeau said as much himself.

“Any deal has to be a win-win-win and that means that we’re going to have to ensure we’re standing up for Canadian interests as we move forward on a deal that works for everyone,” he said.

Salesforce Pledge
Trudeau nonetheless received fawning praise from Silicon Valley tech leaders, who have clashed with Trump over political differences.

Salesforce.com’s chairman and chief executive officer Marc Benioff hosted Trudeau for a round-table discussion with corporate leaders on the importance of diversity and equality, held at Salesforce’s headquarters, in San Francisco’s tallest building. The company announced a $2 billion investment in Canada, a pledge Trudeau said would yield thousands of jobs.

“You have a real friend in San Francisco,” Benioff said to a smiling Trudeau. “As a city we love you, we connect with you on your values. Like you, we are a city that values diversity, equality, and we also value innovation.”

The panel discussion’s other attendees included Bernard Tyson, chairman and chief executive officer of Kaiser Permanente; Dan Schulman, chief executive officer of PayPal Holdings Inc.; Geisha Williams, chief executive officer of PG&E Corp.; and Diane Greene, chief executive of Google Cloud.

Amazon vs. Retail
Trudeau later met with AppDirect co-CEO Daniel Saks, who announced the company would hire 300 more staff in Canada. The investment “will strengthen our economy and further position our country as world leader in tech,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau said he hoped Toronto won the race for Amazon’s second headquarters, saying it would “be a significant boon for any city that got it.”

Yet, even the tech-friendly Trudeau has his limits when it comes to accommodating the industry. He was asked about a U.S. push for Canada to raise the de minimis threshold, in effect allowing more online shopping to be done tax-free -- a move that would help Amazon. He gave little sign he would. “I can reassure Canadians I will always stand up for Canadian interests including small businesses,” he said.

(An earlier version of this story was corrected to fix the Google executive’s job title in 13th paragraph.)

REUTERS. FEBRUARY 9, 2018. Mexico says NAFTA rules of origin for autos will change

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico’s Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Thursday that the country had to be realistic about the rules of origin for automobiles under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), saying that the current level will change.

Under NAFTA, at least 62.5 percent of the net cost of a passenger car or light truck must originate in the United States, Canada or Mexico to avoid tariffs. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration wants to hike this to 85 percent.

“You have to be very prudent on what the level is because you can shoot yourself in the foot,” Guajardo said on local television. “Let’s put a realistic integration figure that everyone agrees on, its not going to be the current 62.5 percent ... but it also can’t be 85.”

Reporting by Christine Murray

G7

The Globe and Mail. 9 Feb 2018. Senior deputy governor calls for intervention to to halt tech giants from stifling competition
BARRIE McKENNA

If user data are the primary source of monopoly rents in the digital age, how should we regulate who owns these data and how they are shared?

CAROLYN WILKINS, SENIOR DEPUTY GOVERNOR AT BANK OF CANADA

The Bank of Canada is calling for tougher regulation to stop the spoils of innovation from being concentrated in the hands of a clutch of superstar tech giants.

The benefits of the growing global economy are being spread unevenly across society, leaving too many people behind, senior deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins said on Thursday in prepared remarks to a gathering of top officials from Group of Seven countries in Montebello, Que.

“We are not getting the full benefits of innovation if we leave market power unchecked,” Ms. Wilkins warned.

The world’s five largest global technology companies have a market capitalization of US$3.5-trillion, or nearly a fifth the size of the entire U.S. economy, she pointed out. Those companies are Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft.

Too much market and pricing power in the hands of few companies raises concerns about monopolistic behaviour, she said. Ms. Wilkins also raised a red flag about the impact of too much big data – massive amounts of data collected and analyzed by computers – falling into the hands of a few powerful companies.

“Access to and control of user data could make some firms virtually unassailable,” she pointed out. “They can easily drive out competition by combining their scale with innovative use of data to anticipate and meet evolving customer needs at a lower price, and sometimes for free.”

Ms. Wilkins added that the complexity of algorithms used in data analytics could lead to “tacit collusion” between players – “price-fixing without the quiet glass of Scotch between commercial rivals,” as she put it.

Combatting the problem may require modernizing anti-trust and competition laws, and policies, including more legal clarity around issues such as data privacy, information security and consumer rights, she said.

Ms. Wilkins’s speech was out of character for the Bank of Canada, which has generally steered clear of giving governments policy advice under Governor Stephen Poloz.

“This is more of a government policy-focused speech than we would tend to expect from the Bank of Canada. It’s certainly outside of their wheelhouse,” remarked TorontoDominion Bank economist Brian DePratto. “But it also gives [the bank] more leeway in the discussion because they are not the ones holding the levers.” Ms. Wilkins’s advice comes as the federal Liberals are drafting their next budget – a document that’s expected to focus on “inclusive growth.”

And the advice they appear to be getting from the Bank of Canada is more of the “European-style interventionist bent, rather than a more laissez-faire approach,” according to Mr. DePratto.

Ms. Wilkins is not alone in expressing concern about the robustness of Canada’s competition and privacy protections in the face of rapid technological change. Federal Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien, for example, has called for an update of the country’s privacy laws to give regulators more power and consumers more protection. The Competition Bureau recently issued a draft bulletin that says regulators need to strike a balance between addressing the harmful effects of big data on competition and consumers against doing anything that might stifle innovation.

The intersection of Canada’s competition laws and big data is also at the heart of a case that’s poised to be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada. The case pits Canada’s competition watchdog against the Toronto Real Estate Board in a fight over who should control data on home sales and real estate commissions.

Some critics worry that Canada is falling out of step with other jurisdictions, including the European Union, which is taking a much tougher line against the growing clout of mainly U.S.-based tech giants. In May, the EU will bring in much stiffer privacy protections as part of its new General Data Protection Regulation.

Ms. Wilkins acknowledged that central banks don’t have “the mandate or the tools” to influence technological progress or the distribution of income. But they do have a stake in promoting “strong and sustainable” growth.

“That is why we play an important advisory role and help shed light on some of the trade-offs at play,” she explained.

Technological change and inequality are undermining trust in international co-operation on trade and financial-sector regulations, according to Ms. Wilkins.

Among other policy changes, Ms. Wilkins pointed to some experts who have suggested the need to regulate tech platforms as utilities as well as forcing companies to pay users for their data. “If user data are the primary source of monopoly rents in the digital age, how should we regulate who owns these data and how they are shared?” she asked.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Global Affairs Canada. 2018-02-08. Speech by the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development

Ottawa, Ontario - Mr. Chair, Honourable Members, thank you for the invitation to appear before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, to speak about how our government is delivering on its foreign policy priorities.

Last June in the House of Commons, I laid out Canada’s foreign policy priorities. At their very core, these priorities rest on the importance of maintaining a stable, rules-based international order.

For our government, building on Canada’s long tradition of global engagement means a strong voice that stands up to intolerance and nativism, while also addressing the legitimate concerns of those who feel left behind by globalization.

It means demonstrating constructive leadership within the established international order and with our partners to promote peace, security and prosperity in the world.

Mr. Chair, this is exactly what our government is doing.

At the United Nations, the G7 and G20, the Organization of American States, the World Trade Organization, in the Commonwealth, La Francophonie and NATO, to name a few, Canada is engaging creatively to navigate the complexities of today’s world.

And we are doing so, Mr. Chair, not just in word but also in deed.

We have shown that Canada can lead and assemble partners to find solutions to the world’s most pressing global challenges.

In October in Toronto, I hosted the third ministerial meeting of the Lima Group on Venezuela. Foreign ministers from over a dozen countries convened to discuss steps needed for a peaceful return to democracy and to relieve the terrible suffering of the Venezuelan people. I repeated this message once again two weeks ago in Chile at the fourth Lima Group meeting, as well as the importance that Canada’s sanctions against Venezuela have in our efforts to achieve these goals. The issue of Venezuela was further extensively discussed at the North American Foreign Ministers’ Meeting last Friday in Mexico City.

With the United States, Canada also recently hosted the Vancouver Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula. This was an essential opportunity for the international community to demonstrate unity against and opposition to North Korea’s dangerous and illegal actions and to work together to strengthen diplomatic efforts toward a secure, prosperous and denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

Likewise, on Myanmar, I am proud of Canada’s leadership. Too often in diplomacy it is said words do not matter. But they do. And it is not insignificant that Canada was one of the first countries to denounce the crimes against humanity and the ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya. Since the beginning of 2017, Canada has contributed $37.5 million to help address the needs of affected people in Myanmar and Bangladesh. This includes $12.5 million the government has contributed to match the donations of Canadians. And that is why we have appointed Bob Rae, an exemplary Canadian, as special envoy. As a non-Muslim majority country, Canada must continue to speak out against this tragedy.

On Ukraine, I was pleased to visit in December and meet with President Poroshenko, Prime Minister Groysman and Foreign Minister Klimkin. I conveyed our unwavering support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and our recent addition of Ukraine to the Automatic Firearms Country Control List.

Last June, I also said we would take bold steps to ensure that all human beings are treated with dignity and respect, based on our unshakeable commitment to pluralism, human rights and the rule of law.

Since then, we adopted the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, to enable Canada to take action against individuals who commit serious violations of human rights and those who engage in significant acts of corruption anywhere in the world. I want to thank all the members of this committee for your important work on this legislation; it could not have happened without your leadership.

We continue to firmly speak out against injustice and intolerance elsewhere, as we have in places such as Yemen, Chechnya and Iran over the past months. 

You have also heard me speak about women and girls. As I said in June, it is important and historic that we have a proudly feminist prime minister and government. Women’s rights are human rights, and they are at the core of our foreign policy.

It is why we are committed to an ambitious feminist foreign policy.

This commitment is at the heart of the Feminist International Assistance Policy—launched in June by my colleague Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie—and at the heart of Canada’s new National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, which I announced last November. I know the contribution of several committee members here was invaluable to the development of these policies, and I would like to thank you again.

At the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference in November, Canada launched the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, which is aimed at ensuring women can fully participate in peace operations around the world, but also that the right conditions are put in place for their sustainable involvement. The Elsie Initiative is designed to improve the overall effectiveness of UN operations, and later this month Canada will be hosting a design conference with experts and partners to further develop this transformative initiative.

Our reputation, as a country with clear and cherished democratic values that stands up for human rights, is strong. We must continue to be a global leader and keep working to protect these values and rights.

On this point, I would like to directly address an issue that has received important scrutiny in Canada: arms exports.

Last summer, we became aware of media reports of the possible misuse of Canadian-made vehicles in security operations in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

At that time, I asked officials at Global Affairs Canada to conduct a full and thorough investigation of these reports.

Today, I can confirm that officials at Global Affairs Canada found no conclusive evidence that Canadian-made vehicles were used in human rights violations. That was the independent, objective opinion of our public service and the advice given to me as minister.

This experience did, however, cause me to pause and reexamine Canada’s export permit system.

My conclusion was that Canada can do better.

Canada is not alone in the world in taking stock of how we allow and monitor the export of arms, and of the considerations that go into those decisions. I have spoken with my counterparts in Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands, for example, whose countries have all recently—in one way or another—questioned how arms are exported.

I am proud of the important commitment that our government made with Bill C-47, which would amend the Export and Import Permits Act to allow Canada to accede to the Arms Trade Treaty [ATT]. This is the first treaty to tackle the illicit trade in conventional weapons, and it sets an essential standard for the international community.

It is long overdue that Canada joins many of our NATO and G7 partners by acceding to the ATT.

We have heard support for the Arms Trade Treaty from civil society, from NGOs, and from Canadians. We also heard the clear desire to do better. We need to be ambitious and strengthen Bill C-47.

We had originally planned to place the criteria by which exports are judged, including human rights, into regulation. But we heard from committee members and civil society that they would like to see the Arms Trade Treaty criteria placed directly into legislation. This would include the consideration of peace and security, human rights and gender-based violence. I can say today that this is something we would welcome.

Going further than that, our government is today announcing its support for the inclusion of a substantial risk clause in the law.

Such a clause would mean that our government, and indeed future governments, would not allow the export of a controlled good if there were a substantial risk that it could be used to commit human rights violations.

A substantial risk clause would mean that Global Affairs Canada would need to ensure—before the export of controlled goods—that we have a high level of confidence that controlled exports will not be used to commit human rights abuses.

This is a significant decision. It will mean changes in how Canada regulates selling weapons. This is the right thing to do. Canadians fundamentally care about human rights for all, and Canadians rightly expect that exports are not used to violate human rights.

Let me be clear: from this day forward, I want us to hold ourselves to a higher standard on the export of controlled goods from Canada.

I would also like to provide further clarity on one point: as a matter of broad principle, Canada will honour, to the greatest extent possible, preexisting contracts.

We can all understand and appreciate the fundamental importance of being able to trust Canada. We also understand the inherent importance of providing stability and certainty.

Canada is a trusted partner, and people must continue to be sure of the high worth of our word and our commitments.

They need to know that an agreement with Canada endures beyond elections.

This is important not only for our international partners, but also for Canadian companies and Canadian workers, who need to know that they will be able to follow through on plans into which they invest their time and resources.

These two amendments will also provide clarity to industry, by laying out the government’s, and Canadians’, expectations for our export control process. We will work with Canadian industry to continue to provide it with appropriate guidance.

Mr. Chair, let me now turn to trade.

When it comes to NAFTA, we continue to work hard on the bread-and-butter trade issues at the negotiating table. Our goal is greater competitiveness and growth in North America.

At the most recent round of talks in Montréal, we put forward some creative ideas with a view to establishing a constructive dialogue on certain key issues, including auto rules of origin, investment dispute settlement and the ongoing modernization of the agreement. Serious challenges remain, particularly with the U.S.’ unconventional proposals.

As the Prime Minister said yesterday in Chicago, our objective is a good deal, not just any deal.

At the negotiating table, Canada always takes a fact-based approach. We are always polite and are adept at seeking creative solutions and win-win-win compromises. But we are also resolute: Canada will only accept an agreement that is in our national interest and respects Canadian values.

Finally, Mr. Chair, let me conclude with a few words about one of Canada’s signature priorities for the coming year: our G7 presidency. This is an opportunity for us to speak with a strong voice on the international stage.

In assuming the 2018 G7 presidency, Canada will engage G7 counterparts on pressing global challenges, such as investing in growth that works for everyone; preparing for the jobs of the future; working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy; and building a more peaceful and secure world. Above all, we will advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, and will ensure that a gender-based analysis is applied to all aspects of our presidency.

Mr. Chair, let me end by saying that within the G7 and with the broader global community, Canada continues to support and seek ways to strengthen a rules-based international order.

We are doing this wherever and however we can, in a manner that explicitly embraces the connection between peace, shared prosperity, open trade and human rights.

Thank you.

The Globe and Mail. 9 Feb 2018. Ottawa plans to toughen arms-export rules. Foreign Affairs Minister says country needs to hold to a higher standard on the sale of controlled goods
STEVEN CHASE

The issue raised some concerns for me and that is why … now is the time on a going-forward basis for Canada to move to a more rigorous system of control over arms exports.

CHRYSTIA FREELAND FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER

The federal government says it has concluded there is no definitive evidence Canadian-made combat vehicles were used to commit human-rights violations in Saudi Arabia last summer, but nevertheless plans to enshrine in law a “substantial risk” clause it promises will apply tougher scrutiny to future arms exports.

Last July, for the first time, videos and photos surfaced of the Saudis using Canadian-made armoured vehicles against the population in Awamiyah, a minority Shia Muslim area.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland on Thursday announced the result of a probe her department conducted into that incident. The Saudi embassy in Canada has defended the use of this Canadian equipment in 2017 as necessary to fight terrorist threats to the kingdom.

“Officials at Global Affairs Canada found no conclusive evidence that Canadian-made vehicles were used in human-rights violations. That was the independent, objective opinion of our public service and the advice given to me as minister,” Ms. Freeland told MPs on the Commons foreign affairs committee.

The government has not committed to releasing the internal report on this investigation.

NDP foreign affairs critic Hélène Laverdière expressed skepticism at the probe’s findings, but Ms. Freeland said she trusts her department.

“We believe in a fact-based approach and we believe in relying on the counsel of our public service.”

The Foreign Affairs Minister said the government will nevertheless take further action.

“The issue raised some concerns for me and that is why … now is the time on a going-forward basis for Canada to move to a more rigorous system of control over arms exports.”

Ms. Freeland said the Liberals plan to legislate a clause in Canadian arms export legislation that would require the department to ensure – before approving export permits for controlled goods such as military equipment – that there was no substantial risk such equipment could be used to commit human rights violations.

The effect of the change, ONE OF her officials said, means that Canada’s foreign affairs minister would be legally required to refuse an export permit application if a substantial risk were proven.

“This will mean changes in how Canada regulates selling weapons. This is the right thing to do,” Ms. Freeland told the parliamentary committee. “Let me be clear: From this day forward, I want us to hold ourselves to a higher standard on the export of controlled goods from Canada.”

Ms. Freeland also said the government plans to add language to arms control law that would require Ottawa to consider matters such as “human rights, peace and security and gender-based violence” when assessing exports.

Amnesty International Canada secretary-general Alex Neve urged the government to make public the results of the probe and said he was disappointed the government is not yet convinced to suspend exports under the $15-billion deal brokered by Ottawa that will send more armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia “at a time when Saudi forces are responsible for widespread human rights violations and war crimes in neighbouring Yemen.”

However, Mr. Neve welcomed the plan for a “substantial risk” clause in arms export legislation. He said he hopes this would enshrine a “clear legal obligation that would require the [foreign affairs] minister to turn down – with no discretion to the contrary – arms deals that contravene those criteria.” The human rights advocate said this would be “a significant advance.”

Some critics on Thursday warned the government’s emphasis on the fact that the probe had not found conclusive evidence the Canadian vehicles were involved in rights violations redefines the traditional test that is supposed to be applied to weapons exports in a way that makes it easier for Ottawa to allow them.

Cesar Jaramillo, executive director of Project Ploughshares, a disarmament group, said existing rules do not require conclusive evidence that Canadian weapons are being used to commit human rights violations abroad.

Guidelines currently put the onus on the Canadian government to restrict exports unless it can be demonstrated there is no reasonable risk the goods might be used against civilians. Mr. Jaramillo noted the restrictions on arms exports called for under the global Arms Trade Treaty are also based on a risk assessment rather than evidence, which can be hard to retrieve.

“The key criterion to assess the likelihood of misuse of military exports is ‘reasonable risk’ not ‘conclusive evidence,’ ” Mr. Jaramillo wrote in a statement. “In fact, the word ‘evidence’ does not appear a single time in either the international Arms Trade Treaty or in Canada’s own annual report on exports of military goods. Yet Ottawa continues to confuse and conflate these clearly distinct concepts in its efforts to justify its determination to continue arming Saudi Arabia.”

Mr. Jaramillo nevertheless applauded the announced “substantial risk clause,” saying without that, the federal minister of foreign affairs would continue to have “virtually unchecked discretion to authorize any and all military exports.”

The footage from last summer featured military equipment made by Terradyne Armoured Vehicles of Newmarket, Ont., but one clip also showed combat machines made by General Dynamics Land Systems being deployed. The second vehicle is manufactured in London, Ont.

The House of Saud’s use of Canadian fighting vehicles against its Shia population in eastern Saudi Arabia goes to the heart of a long-running controversy over whether the Liberal government is violating Canada’s weapons exportcontrol rules by allowing a $15-billion deal to sell more vehicles to Riyadh.

The NDP’s Ms. Laverdière urged the minister to release the report. She said by the assertion that Ottawa cannot stop the exports unless definitive proof is found departs from existing guidelines. “It’s not conclusive evidence that she needs. The current rules say we should not export unless it can be proven there is no reasonable risk they would be used to commit abuses.”

While the Harper government brokered a recent $15-billion combat vehicle deal with Saudi Arabia, the Trudeau government in 2016 approved export permits for the bulk of the deal. The Liberal government said then it felt there was no reasonable risk the machines would be used against civilians in Saudi Arabia.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL. THE CANADIAN PRESS. FEBRUARY 9, 2018. Philippines' Duterte orders cancellation of helicopter deal with Canada
LEE BERTHIAUME

OTTAWA - The president of the Philippines has told his military commanders to cancel a controversial deal to buy 16 helicopters from Canada, after the Trudeau government ordered a review of the contract over human-rights concerns.

President Rodrigo Duterte issued the order at a news conference Friday in which he said that he respected Canada's position, but also lashed out against restrictions on the use of military equipment against terrorist and rebels.

"I am sure Canada is a bright boy. But the terrorists, ISIS, are contaminating the locals. And if I cannot use the gunships, the helicopters, then I might as well surrender this government to them," Duterte said in Manila.

"I do not question your logic. Your logic is your logic. My logic is mine. It's based on the reality on the ground. So henceforth, this is a direct order to the commander in chief of the armed forces of the Philippines and the police."

The decision sparked a surprisingly sharp response from the Trudeau government, which only a few days earlier had been defending the deal, which would have been worth an estimated $300 million.

"The president's troubling comments only underscores the confusion and contradictions that have emerged recently on the intended end use of the helicopters," International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement.

"That is precisely why I ordered a review and that process will continue."

The government had initially said the Bell helicopters would only be used for search-and-rescue and disaster relief operations, and that the deal would support about 1,000 jobs in the Montreal area.

But Champagne ordered a review this week after a senior member of the Philippine military said the aircraft would be used for "internal security operations," sparking concern among civil society groups.

The Philippines military has been accused of extrajudicial killings, torture and other rights abuses during its separate conflicts with Islamic State-linked terrorists and communist rebels.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also raised concerns about extrajudicial killings while visiting the country in November, specifically those related to Duterte's violent crackdown on illegal drugs.

The helicopter deal was quietly facilitated by the Canadian Commercial Corp., a Crown corporation whose role includes selling Canadian-made arms to foreign countries on behalf of the government.

It was only made public when the Philippines military revealed the purchase; Champagne has said the contract was signed under the auspices of a previous agreement and that neither he nor any other ministers were asked to sign off on it.

Human-rights and arms-control groups have long questioned the CCC's process for assessing the potential risk of rights abuses in the sale of arms to countries with questionable records such as Saudi Arabia.

The CCC has refused to comment on the deal other than to confirm that a contract was signed in late December.

Bell Helicopter declined to comment Friday on Duterte's decision.

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said in Saguenay, Que., that he was disappointed with word of the cancelled contract, in particular for employees who he said must be worried at the news.

Couilllard said Bell's Mirabel, Que., installation is a successful operation that could continue to count on the province's support.

Duterte, meanwhile, said he did not want to buy any "weapons of war" from Canada because "they will invariably be used against the rebels and the terrorists."

He also said not to buy from the U.S. "because there is always a condition attached."

Canadian International Trade Tribunal. February 8, 2018. Tribunal Continues Finding—Stainless Steel Sinks from China

Ottawa, Ontario — The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (the Tribunal) today continued its finding made on May 24, 2012, in Inquiry No. NQ-2011-002, concerning the dumping and subsidizing of stainless steel sinks from the People’s Republic of China.

The Tribunal found that the dumping and subsidizing of stainless steel sinks from China were likely to result in injury. The Canada Border Services Agency will therefore continue to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on these products.

The Tribunal is an independent quasi-judicial body that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Finance. It hears cases on dumped and subsidized imports, safeguard complaints, complaints about federal government procurement and appeals of customs and excise tax rulings. When requested by the federal government, the Tribunal also provides advice on other economic, trade and tariff matters.

• Canadian International Trade Tribunal—Newly Published Documents: http://www.citt-tcce.gc.ca/en/whats-new

LABOUR FORCE

StatCan. 2018-02-09. Labour Force Survey, January 2018

• Employment — Canada: 18,557,000, January 2018, -0.5% decrease (monthly change)
• Unemployment rate — Canada: 5.9%, January 2018, 0.1 pts increase (monthly change)
• Source(s): CANSIM table 282-0087: http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=2820087&&pattern=&stByVal=1&p1=1&p2=31&tabMode=dataTable&csid=

Following two months of increases, employment fell by 88,000 in January. Part-time employment declined (-137,000), while full-time employment was up (+49,000). At the same time, the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 5.9%.

On a year-over-year basis, employment grew by 289,000 or 1.6%. Gains were driven by increases in full-time work (+414,000 or +2.8%), while there were fewer people working part time (-125,000 or -3.5%). Over the same period, hours worked rose by 2.8%.

Highlights

In January, employment declined for core-aged women (25 to 54 years old), as well as people 55 and older and youth aged 15 to 24. There was little change for core-aged men.

The largest employment declines were in Ontario and Quebec. There were also decreases in New Brunswick and Manitoba.

Declines were spread across a number of industries, including educational services; finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing; professional, scientific and technical services; construction; and health care and social assistance. On the other hand, employment increased in business, building, and other support services.

In January, the number of employees fell in both the private and public sectors, while the number of self-employed workers held steady.

Chart 1: Employment

Chart 2: Unemployment rate

Demographic overview

Employment among core-aged women fell by 45,000 in January. Their unemployment rate was little changed at 4.9%, as fewer women participated in the labour market. On a year-over-year basis, employment for this group was virtually unchanged.

Among people aged 55 and older, employment fell by 24,000 in January, with all of the decline in part-time work. Their unemployment rate was little changed at 5.3%. On a year-over-year basis, employment for this group rose by 187,000 (+4.9%), partly due to the continued aging of the baby-boom cohort. The pace of employment growth over this period was faster for women (+7.0%) in this group than it was for men (+3.2%).

For youth aged 15 to 24, employment declined by 22,000 in January, as full-time gains were more than offset by part-time losses. The youth unemployment rate was little changed at 10.9%, but was down 2.2 percentage points compared with January 2017. On a year-over-year basis, youth employment held steady.

Employment for core-aged men was little changed in January, as full-time increases were offset by part-time declines. The unemployment rate for this group was little changed in the month, at 5.0%, but was down 0.9 percentage points compared with 12 months earlier. On a year-over-year basis, employment for core-aged men was up by 75,000 (+1.2%), driven by gains in full-time work.

Provincial summary

Chart 3: Unemployment rate by province, January 2018

Employment in Ontario declined by 51,000 in January, entirely due to losses in part-time work. The unemployment rate was 5.5%, little changed as fewer people participated in the labour market. Compared with January 2017, employment in the province grew by 104,000 (+1.5%) and the unemployment rate declined by 0.9 percentage points.

Following three months of increases, employment in Quebec fell by 17,000, driven by part-time declines. The unemployment rate increased 0.4 percentage points to 5.4%, as more people searched for work. On a year-over-year basis, employment in Quebec rose by 71,000 (+1.7%) and the unemployment rate was down 0.9 percentage points.

Employment fell by 5,800 in New Brunswick, and the unemployment rate increased 1.3 percentage points to 9.1%. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province was little changed.

In Manitoba, employment fell by 3,600, as part-time gains were more than offset by full-time losses. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.6%, as fewer people were participating in the labour market. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province grew by 7,100 (+1.1%).

Overall employment in Alberta was little changed in January, as large part-time declines were mostly offset by full-time increases. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the province rose by 46,000 (+2.0%), entirely due to increases in full-time work. Over the same period, the unemployment rate in Alberta was down 1.7 percentage points to 7.0%.

Industry perspective

In educational services, employment fell by 20,000 in January. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was at virtually the same level.

Employment in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing declined by 18,000 and was little changed on a year-over-year basis.

There were 17,000 fewer people working in professional, scientific and technical services in January. Despite this decline, employment in this industry grew by 34,000 (+2.4%) compared with 12 months earlier.

In construction, employment fell by 15,000 in January, while it rose by 33,000 (+2.4%) on a year-over-year basis.

Employment in health care and social assistance declined by 11,000 in January. On a year-over-year basis, there was little change in this industry.

There were also declines in natural resources (-5,900). Employment in this industry was virtually unchanged compared with January 2017.

In business, building and other support services, employment rose by 11,000. On a year-over-year basis, employment was little changed.

In January, the number of employees declined by 71,000 in the private sector and by 41,000 in the public sector. On a year-over-year basis, there were 109,000 (+0.9%) more private sector employees, while public sector employment was little changed.

Self-employment was little changed in January, but was up 141,000 (+5.1%) on a year-over-year basis.

Canada–United States comparison

Adjusted to US concepts, the unemployment rate in Canada was 4.9% in January, compared with 4.1% in the United States. The unemployment rate for both countries trended downward in the 12 months to January.

The labour force participation rate in Canada (adjusted to US concepts) was 65.5% in January, compared with 62.7% in the United States. On a year-over-year basis, the participation rate declined by 0.3 percentage points in Canada, while it was down 0.2 percentage points in the United States.

The US-adjusted employment rate in Canada was 62.2% in January, compared with 60.1% in the United States. On a year-over-year basis, the employment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points in both Canada and the United States.

FULL DOCUMENT: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/180209/dq180209a-eng.pdf

THE GLOBE AND MAIL. REUTERS. FEBRUARY 9, 2018. ECONOMY. Canada sees biggest jobs drop since 2009; interest rates seen holding
LEAH SCHNURR

The Canadian economy lost the most jobs in nine years in January, pulling back after a robust 2017 and solidifying expectations the Bank of Canada will hold interest rates steady next month.

The 88,000 job decrease fell well short of economists' forecasts for a gain of 10,000 and was the biggest decline since January 2009 when the economy was dealing with the global financial crisis, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

The drop was driven by a 137,000 decline in part-time work, the biggest on record, which eclipsed a 49,000 increase in full-time positions. The unemployment rate rose to 5.9 per cent from December's revised 5.8 per cent.

Average hourly wages jumped 3.3 per cent from last January, the strongest since March 2016. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, raised the minimum wage to C$14 ($11.11) an hour at the start of 2018, making it the highest in the country.

The job market is coming off its strongest pace of growth since 2002 after creating more than 400,000 jobs in 2017.



Economists said January's hefty drop was to be expected after such a strong year and was unlikely to change the Bank of Canada's trajectory of more interest rate hikes to come in 2018. The jobs report can also be volatile month-to-month.

"It doesn't change the broader narrative around the Bank of Canada. They are still going to be in a gradual tightening path," said Andrew Kelvin, senior rates strategist at TD Securities.

The Canadian dollar weakened against the greenback following the report before reversing to trade modestly firmer.

Market bets that the bank will hold in March edged up to 92.1 per cent after the data, though odds of a hike by May were at nearly 80 per cent. The central bank has raised rates three times since last July.

Job losses were heaviest in the services sector, which shed 71,900 positions in industries including educational services, finance, insurance and real estate. Among goods-producing firms, the construction sector saw the biggest decline, losing 14,900 jobs.

Ontario had the biggest jobs decline among the provinces, shedding 50,900 positions on a drop in part-time work.

The job losses were spread across industries and included higher paid work, according to the statistics agency. Employment in the food and accommodation sector, where many workers make minimum wage, was little changed.

Some have warned the hike in the minimum wage will cause employers to decrease hiring. ($1 = 1.2604 Canadian dollars)

BLOOMBERG. 9 February 2018. Canada Posts Biggest Job Decline Since 2009
By Theophilos Argitis

• Canada sheds 88k jobs, including record 137k part-time workers
• The drop coincided with an increase in Ontario minimum wages

It was payback time for Canada’s labor market in January, with the biggest monthly job loss since the last recession -- all part-time -- as employers faced quickening wage gains.

Canada shed a net 88,000 jobs during the month, a sharp stop to a recent stellar performance that saw 2017 produce the biggest increase in jobs since 2002. The drop reflected a record loss of 137,000 part-time jobs, and a 49,000 gain in full-time work.



The employment drop coincided with an increase in the minimum wage in Canada’s largest province -- Ontario. That fueled an acceleration of the national wage rate to an annualized pace of 3.3 percent that was the fastest since 2015.

The report is a long-waited correction in a tightening labor market that is more consistent with an economy that has been slowing down since the second half of last year. While the unemployment rate increased to 5.9 percent in January, it’s still near its record low of 5.8 percent and the faster wage gains may give policy makers at the Bank of Canada more fodder to worry about inflation.

“A mysterious mix of good and bad, with the latter’s impact blunted by how strong job gains were in the lead up to these figures,” Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, said in a note to investors.

The Canadian dollar rose after the report, gaining at C$1.2595 per U.S. dollar.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had forecast the economy would generate 10,000 jobs in January, and the jobless rate would remain unchanged.

Canada’s economy has still seen employment increase by 288,700 jobs over the past 12 months -- 146,000 of which came in November and December. Full-time employment is up 558,900 over the past 18 months, near record levels hit in 2000.

“This is still a solid job market, we will have to monitor how the market adjusts to the minimum wage,” Brittany Baumann, a macro strategist at TD Securities, said by phone from Toronto. She cited the full-time job gain, faster wages and a low unemployment rate as signs of a resilient labor market.

Highlights of Canada January Jobs Report

• Ontario recorded the biggest decline last month, down 51,000 - - all part-time. It was the largest monthly drop for the province since 2009.
• Annual wages gains accelerated to 3.3 percent in January, the fastest since 2015 and up from 2.7 percent in December. Wage increases for permanent workers increased by 3.3 percent, up from 2.9 percent.
• Actual hours worked slowed in January to an annualized pace of 2.8 percent, from 3.3 percent in December
• Most of the job losses were in services, which posted a 71,900 decline. Goods-producing employers shed 16,200 jobs during the month

(A previous version of this story was corrected to show 18-month gain in full-time jobs is biggest since 2000)

— With assistance by Erik Hertzberg

ENERGY

StatCan. 2018-02-09. Crude oil and natural gas: Supply and disposition, November 2017

• Production of crude oil and equivalent products: 21.5 million cubic metres, November 2017, 4.1% increase (12-month change)
• Exports of crude oil and equivalent products: 15.0  million cubic metres, November 2017, -7.9% decrease 
• (12-month change)
• Source(s): CANSIM table 126-0003: http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=1260003&&pattern=&stByVal=1&p1=1&p2=31&tabMode=dataTable&csid=

In November, production of crude oil and equivalent products rose 4.1% from the same month a year earlier to 21.5 million cubic metres (135.3 million barrels).

Crude oil production

Increases in non-upgraded production of crude bitumen (+10.8%), light and medium (+7.1%) and heavy (+0.9%) crude oil were partially offset by a decrease in synthetic crude (-11.0%). Due to scheduled maintenance at an Alberta upgrader, November marked the third consecutive month with year-over-year decreases in synthetic crude oil production.

Chart 1: Production of crude oil and equivalent products

Production of conventional and non-conventional crude oil

In November, crude oil production (excluding equivalent products) totalled 19.8 million cubic metres. Non-conventional crude oil production, which consists of non-upgraded crude bitumen and synthetic crude oil, increased 1.4% from the same month a year earlier to 13.7 million cubic metres.

Conventional production of light, medium and heavy crude oils rose 5.0% to 6.1 million cubic metres in November, following a 3.2% year-over-year increase in October.

Chart 2: Production of conventional and non-conventional crude oil 

Provincial production

Alberta produced 17.4 million cubic metres of crude oil and equivalent products in November, up 4.5% from the previous year, and accounted for 81.0% of total Canadian production. Saskatchewan (11.4%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (5.1%) were also key producing provinces.

Refinery use of crude oil

Input of crude oil to Canadian refineries totalled 8.2 million cubic metres in November, up 6.7% from the same month a year earlier. Conventional crude oil accounted for 67.0% of the total, while non-conventional represented the remaining 33.0%. Light and medium (4.5 million cubic metres) and synthetic (2.3 million cubic metres) crude oil were the main types of crude oil used by Canadian refineries.

Exports and imports

Exports of crude oil and equivalent products were down 7.9% from November 2016 to 15.0 million cubic metres. The decrease was attributable to a pipeline leak in the United States. The vast majority of exports (88.8%) were transported via pipelines to the United States, while exports by other means (including rail, truck, and marine) to the United States accounted for 10.5%. The remaining 0.7% of exports went to countries other than the United States.

Imports to Canadian refineries were down 6.8% to 2.6 million cubic metres.

Chart 3: Exports and imports of crude oil and equivalent products

Closing inventories

Closing inventories of crude oil and equivalent products were down 3.5% from the same month a year earlier to 18.7 million cubic metres in November. The total consisted of transporters (down 0.1% to 12.3 million cubic metres), refineries (down 9.3% to 3.8 million cubic metres) and fields and plants (down 9.3% to 2.7 million cubic metres).

Natural gas production

Marketable natural gas production in Canada totalled 14.5 billion cubic metres in November, up 9.3% from the same month a year earlier. Canadian production of natural gas was concentrated in Alberta (71.0%) and British Columbia (26.8%).

Additional information on natural gas is available in "Natural gas transmission, storage and distribution," published in The Daily on January 23, 2017.

FULL DOCUMENT: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/180209/dq180209c-eng.pdf

Natural Resources Canada. 2018-02-08. The Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources, announces a new federal energy regulator as part of the Government of Canada’s new Environmental Assessments and Regulatory Review. Speech

Good morning, everyone.

I want to acknowledge that we are meeting on the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta.

As an Indigenous proverb said, “We do not inherit this land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

That perspective has inspired and informed our government’s vision for Canada in this clean growth century — a vision that includes a deeply competitive oil and gas industry and the enormous opportunity it represents to leverage the resources we have today to deliver clean energy solutions for tomorrow.

No one understands that better than Albertans.

In 2016, the oil and gas industry directly employed 190,000 Canadians, produced $75 billion in exports and accounted for almost five percent of our GDP.

It also generated billions of dollars in government revenues — revenues that pay for our hospitals and schools, bridges and safer roads, and for the social programs that make us who we are as Canadians. It is an industry that has helped lay the foundation of our lives today and that has contributed to the economy and livelihoods of Canadians across the country. The collective impacts are bigger than the individual projects.

That was also the motivation behind Generation Energy, which started out as a national discussion to imagine Canada’s energy future for our children’s children, and their children.

Something happened on the way to that future. Something remarkable, and even historic. Canadians started joining the conversation by the hundreds of thousands, and hundreds more descended on my home city of Winnipeg for a two-day Generation Energy forum last fall.

Suddenly, people who may never have spoken to each other before were in the same room — challenging each other, and themselves.

Years from now, Canadians may well look back and say Generation Energy was a turning point. That it marked our emergence as a global leader in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Our government is harnessing this sea of change by building it into a Canadian Energy Strategy, by working with the provinces and territories to expand what they have already done.

Until today, though, we’d been missing an important piece of this vision: an environmental and regulatory system that commands the confidence of all Canadians.

We knew this was a problem before we formed the government, which is why we quickly introduced a set of interim principles to get moving on projects already in the queue.

Projects such as the Trans Mountain Expansion and Line 3 Replacement pipelines were approved. Solid decisions based on good jobs, sound science and the national interest.

But our goal has always been a permanent fix.

That’s what today is about. We tabled legislation this morning outlining our new approach based on:

• Restoring public trust;
• Protecting our environment, fish and waterways;
• Recognizing the rights of Indigenous peoples;
• Collaborating with the provinces and territories; and
• Encouraging more investments in Canada’s natural resources sectors.

We are keeping our promise to Canadians. We are putting in place better rules to protect our environment and build a stronger economy. After 14 months of hearing from provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, companies, environmental groups and Canadians from across the country, we're making real changes.

The previous government eroded public trust in environmental and regulatory processes, making it harder for projects to get approved. We are restoring that trust. A new wave of resource development is coming, with more than $500 billion in projects planned over the next 10 years.

These projects remind us that Canada was built on investment and innovation in the natural resources sectors, and that we have a chance to create good, sustainable jobs and new economic opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it.

The key is a modern environmental and regulatory system that is truly open and transparent — and our new approach delivers that, starting with two important changes.

First, we are establishing a new federal agency — the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada — to replace the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.

This new agency would work in partnership with federal regulators to deliver a single, consistent and predictable assessment process for designated projects and coordinate upfront work and consultations with Indigenous peoples.

It will look at how a project could affect not just our environment, but also communities and health, the rights of Indigenous peoples, jobs and the economy over the long run.

And second, we are creating a new federal energy regulator to replace the National Energy Board.

The Canadian Energy Regulator will reflect Canada’s changing energy needs, with an expanded mandate to review traditional and renewable sources of energy. And for the first time, offshore renewable energy projects will be able to be built in federal waters. The opportunities are endless.

It would remain based here in Calgary and will have the required independence and the proper accountability to oversee a strong, safe and sustainable Canadian energy sector for the 21st Century.

The C-E-R will reduce timelines for its project reviews by managing them better and making sure there are fewer stops of the legislated clock.

For major new energy projects, it will work with the new Impact Assessment Agency to provide its own recommendations in a single, final report. For all other projects, it will retain its existing responsibility to review.

We know some people will disagree with the changes we’re making. That's the nature of this world. Some will argue no changes are needed, and others will say more needs to be done.

Our legislation is for the Canada we have today, and for the Canada we want tomorrow: a country where good projects get built in a responsible, timely and transparent way, creating good jobs and a stronger middle class.

A Canada that rises to the challenges of our times by driving economic growth and building investment certainty while advancing Indigenous reconciliation.

A Canada that restores public confidence and combats climate change, creating the inclusive prosperity we all want while protecting the planet we all cherish. For generations to come. For our children, and our grandchildren, and those who follow. They deserve no less.

Thank you.

STATCAN - 100th ANNIVERSARY

StatCan. 2018-02-09. Happy birthday, StatCan!

Statistics Canada hit 100 this year. This month's issue of the StatCan Blog takes a look back at the agency's early days, and casts an eye to the future to examine the road ahead.

Born as the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Canada has undergone massive changes since 1918. Back then, Tunney's Pasture—the spot StatCan now calls home—was an actual pasture, with cattle grazing not far from the banks of the Ottawa River.

Today, Tunney's is home to a high-tech hub of data, keeping Canadians up to date on almost every aspect of life in this country.

100

It's been 100 years since the Dominion Bureau of Statistics—later renamed Statistics Canada—was created.

Throughout 2018, the agency will be unveiling plans to celebrate this important milestone. "We want to honour our past and present," says Anil Arora, Chief Statistician of Canada. "We recognize that our success was built on years of dedication, ingenuity and hard work, a tradition proudly carried on by employees today."

A century of growth

The agency has grown alongside Canada's population, which registered at 8.6 million in 1918 and 35.1 million in 2016.

In 1918, Robert H. Coats, the first Dominion Statistician and Controller of the Census, supervised the work of 123 employees in a small downtown Ottawa office.

A century later, the agency has continued to grow in reach and in relevance. Today, we stretch from coast to coast with staff in Ottawa and in regional offices. Statistics Canada's presence is now nationwide through a network of Research Data Centres where researchers can access microdata, allowing them to analyze complex social and economic issues.

And the agency's influence is not confined to national borders. As a member of organizations such as the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Statistics Canada plays an active role in international working groups, pushing new boundaries. The agency collaborates with other statistical organizations to share knowledge and expertise, and build capacity with colleagues around the world.

Statistics Canada, then and now

The last century brought an abundance of progress and innovation, which changed Statistics Canada in fundamental ways.

Although punch cards and electronic tabulating machines eventually revolutionized statistical compilation, printers back in 1918 did not make vertical lines. This left clerks the tedious job of drawing lines on sheets of paper used for census tables, entirely by hand!

Technological advances over the years have increased Statistics Canada's processing and analytical capabilities. Today's employees are able to impute, weigh and verify data using a range of sophisticated processing software.

Trends in communication and dissemination have also evolved. In 1918, with limited mediums through which to distribute information and no 24-hour news cycle to accommodate, the Canada Year Book was the primary publication.

Today, Statistics Canada leverages a variety of communication channels, releasing data through The Daily, and engaging with Canadians through blog posts and social media. The agency produces infographics and data visualization tools to make statistical information more accessible and engaging.

Expanding stats

Over the years, Statistics Canada's focus has diversified in response to the needs of Canadians.

In 1918, Statistics Canada focused largely on measuring industries such as mining and agriculture, recording 118 million pounds of copper and 189 million bushels of wheat produced that year.

While the agency still tracks these sectors, it has expanded its programs to meet the information needs of a modern society and global economy, which are fueled by high-quality and timely data. As the national statistical organization in a centralized system, Statistics Canada is uniquely positioned to meet those needs.

The agency now produces statistics covering a wide range of topics, from tourism, trade and energy to justice, health and education. The Cannabis Statistics Hub, launched as part of an initiative to track the social and economic effects of pending legislation that would legalize non-medical cannabis, exemplifies Statistics Canada's capacity to respond to rapidly evolving demands for statistical information.

Where we stand today

The solid foundation built over the last century has enabled the agency to achieve new successes in the past few years.

In 2016, Statistics Canada conducted its most successful census ever. Canadians responded with overwhelming enthusiasm—the 98.4% participation rate was the highest in census history.

The following year, the agency launched an ambitious modernization agenda, revealing plans to intensify its focus on user needs, enhance collaboration, build statistical capacity, adopt innovative methods to collect and process data, and modernize its workplace.

The end of 2017 was marked by legislation to amend the Statistics Act, formalizing the agency's independence and reinforcing Canadians' confidence in their national statistical organization.

Looking back, moving forward

While much has changed at Statistics Canada in the last century, some things have remained consistent over time: our dedication to quality, the innovation of our employees and most importantly, the value that we add to Canadians' understanding of our society, environment and the economy. In the words of Mr. Coats: "The statistics of a nation are, in point of fact, the quantitative expression of the character and activities of the people, and hence are of the most profound significance."

The act of gathering statistics in Canada is of course, nothing new: the tradition dates back to 1666, when Jean Talon conducted the first census in New France.

The anniversary marks the year that Canada formalized the Dominion Bureau of Statistics as a national institution. Celebrating Statistics Canada's centennial is about commemorating past achievements, celebrating how far we've come and looking forward to an even brighter future. Canadians expect and desire no less from a world-class statistical agency. As Mr. Arora puts it, "This is our chance to recognize the generations of talent that have brought us to where we are today, and to celebrate the continued achievements of a world-class organization."

Over the course of 2018, we will engage with Canadians through a series of commemorative products and activities.

________________

LGCJ.: