'I won't say any more:' Trudeau mum on paused trade talks with India
Ottawa is refusing to say why trade talks with India were paused shortly before the G20 summit in New Delhi.
India's envoy to Canada recently revealed that Ottawa asked for a pause "within the last month." The envoy did not elaborate on why and neither will the international trade minister or prime minister.
Speaking from Singapore on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked twice to give a reason, but he would not provide any details.
"We know the negotiations around free trade are long and complex and I won't say any more," Trudeau said.
Trudeau's comments come just days after Trade Minister Mary Ng said Canada is currently "taking stock" of where things are.
鈥淭rade agreements are complex and there are many things that go into that,鈥 Ng told reporters in Indonesia on Tuesday. 鈥淎ll we are doing at this point is taking a reflection to take stock of where we are.鈥
Canada and India first launched talks for a , but those plans were abandoned in 2017. Since 2022, the two countries have instead been engaged in talks about a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that would be restricted to certain industries.
While in Indonesia for meetings related to the ASEAN summit, Goldy Hyder, the CEO of the Canada Business Council, said he believes the pause is a chance for the government to ask questions about the content of a potential agreement.
He described it as a chance to look at the areas where consensus can be found and where Canada is likely 鈥渙verreaching.鈥 But, he said, it鈥檚 important Canada get back to the table, whatever the reason for the stall.
While in the Indo-Pacific region, Trudeau provided updates on , saying a deal will hopefully be signed before the end of 2025. The prime minister hopes a separate deal with Indonesia will be complete by the end of 2024, roughly three years after talks launched.
If signed, the two free trade deals would open Canada's industries to a market of more than 660 million people.
"Everyone around the world, after having focused so much on maximum efficiency of supply chains, learnt during the pandemic that we need resiliency of our supply chains, we need diversity within our supply chains," Trudeau said. "That has put even more emphasis for Canada in engaging with Southeast Asia, but also for Southeast Asian economies to look to countries like Canada.
Wayne Farmer, president of the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, said promoting Canadian businesses and products requires continued face-time with Indo-Pacific leaders.
"A large part of promoting Canada's interest out here is the touch that's required between senior government and senior private sector leaders," he said Thursday.
G20 IN INDIA
Trudeau will arrive in India on Friday without an official bilateral with host Indian Prime Minister Nardendra Modi on the schedule.
Both Australia and the United States have announced meetings with Modi, while British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is meeting with the leader before the start of the G20. At that meeting, Sunak will reportedly that Indian officials have said they hope will be completed before the end of the year.
Asked about Canada-India relations and whether a meeting with Modi will happen, Trudeau said events are still being worked out.
"You can know that we will have really important conversations when we're there," Trudeau said.
With files from the Canadian Press
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government鈥檚 three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party鈥檚 popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn鈥檛 be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.
Following child's death in Ontario, here's what you need to know about rabies and bats
An Ontario child died last month after coming into contact with a rabid bat in their bedroom, which was the first known human rabies case in Canada since 2019.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Anne Hathaway confirms 'Princess Diaries 3': 'Miracles happen'
You might be thinking, 'Shut up!' but it鈥檚 officially true: the 'Princess Diaries' franchise is finally growing.
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.
Local Spotlight
Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.
From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.
A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.
The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.
A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.
Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north
What does New Westminster's t蓹m蓹sew虛tx史 Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.
New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.