By Canadian Press

Liberals say Tories delaying help for Ukraine as advocacy group pleads with Poilievre

Dec 1, 2023 | 12:51 PM

OTTAWA — Liberals are accusing Conservatives of delaying help for Ukrainians, after a Tory motion prevented the House of Commons from voting today on a bill meant to modernize the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement.

The heated exchange in the House today comes after the Ukrainian Canadian Congress sent a letter to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asking him to change his position on the bill.

The Tories have voted against the legislation, which would implement an update to the trade agreement signed in September, saying that’s because of language in the deal that says both countries will promote carbon pricing. 

The bill passed through the committee stage earlier this week with the support of other parties, and the House was supposed to vote on the committee report today so the bill could move into a final stage of debate. 

But before that could happen, the Tories brought forward a motion to concur in an 18-month-old report on Canada’s food security.

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Deputy government House leader Mark Gerretsen charged that it was a tactic meant to obstruct debate on the trade agreement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2023. 

The Canadian Press