Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose says it鈥檚 time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to 鈥済et on a plane鈥� to salvage CETA in Brussels.
Ambrose told CTV鈥檚 Power Play that it was 鈥渁bsolutely unacceptable鈥� that International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland walked out on Canada-EU trade deal talks in Brussels. Freeland returned to Canada after the Belgium region of Wallonia continued to block the deal.
鈥淚t took seven years for us to get to where we are today,鈥� Ambrose said from Edmonton.
鈥淲e cannot give up. We cannot throw in the towel at this late stage.鈥�
Ambrose said she can understand Freeland鈥檚 frustration with the holdup. However, she said the Conservatives encountered similar road blocks such as dealing with resistance to the oilsands.
Ambrose said a 鈥減hone call is not enough鈥� and Trudeau needs to get directly involved. She said he should show his support on the ground like the Prime Minister of Belgium who flew into Brussels.
鈥淲e need Trudeau to actually get on a plane and go over there,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 just think it makes a difference when you have the leader of a country involved at this level of negotiations.鈥�
Ambrose said she doesn鈥檛 believe Trudeau is as excited about CETA as he should be. She said she has only heard him mention CETA in the House of Commons once.
David Lametti, parliamentary secretary to the International Trade Minister, said Ambrose's comments couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth.
Trudeau supports CETA and has been in 鈥渃onstant contact鈥� throughout trade negotiations, Lametti told CTV鈥檚 Power Play in Ottawa.
It was determined Trudeau did not need to fly to Brussels for negotiations at this stage, Lametti said. He said Canada has done all that it can and it鈥檚 up to the EU to save the deal now.
Ambrose said the Conservatives have called for an emergency debate on CETA.
