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MANILA, Philippines – The new Liberal trade minister says the $4.3 billion compensation package the previous Conservative government made to dairy farmers to counter any ill effects of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is not a done deal.
International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said that package is under review, as part of the Liberal government’s promise to consult with Canadians on the massive 12-country Pacific Rim trade pact and put it to a vote in Parliament.
For now, she said her government is not bound by the compensation commitment of the Conservatives, which was made by its cabinet during the federal election campaign.
Freeland’s assessment came in Manila on Wednesday at the same Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation leaders’ summit where U.S. President Barack Obama made an impassioned pitch to the leaders of the 12 TPP countries — including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — to ratify the deal as quickly as possible.
The APEC gathering brought together all 12 TPP countries for the first time since the historic deal, which covers 40 per cent of the global economy, was announced on Oct. 5.
Freeland’s comments are not likely to be well received by the Canada’s dairy industry, which fought hard to protect its supply management system.
