The Canada Brief

Canada · 1 d ago

House of Commons, Ottawa

elPadawan · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Bloc Québécois demands an emergency debate on Canada's EU ties

European Parliament, Strasbourg

Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The party says nobody has defined the associate-member status Prime Minister Mark Carney mentioned three times in his closing speech at last week's Canada-EU summit in Montreal. The words are missing from the summit's 46-point joint statement.

Why it matters

The Bloc says the talks touch provincial areas such as labour mobility and critical minerals, and that Quebec is not at the table. It also wants answers on possible effects on the trade war with the United States.

"No debate is planned on this issue in the House of Commons."

— Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc MP

What we know

  • Carney promised a Commons vote on the new EU link
  • Details are promised in the coming months

Not yet

  • What associate-member status would mean
  • Whether the emergency debate is granted

Details of the partnership are promised in the coming months, and Carney has committed to a vote in the House of Commons.