QUESTION PERIOD — Global Affairs
Canada-India Relations
February 4, 2026
My next question is also for the government leader. Yesterday, you touted trade diversification as a priority for your government, pointing to a series of hollow MOUs and rhetoric for strategic partnerships. Yet, one of the biggest failures of the previous, old Liberal government was the breakdown of Canada’s relationship with India. That failure led to the collapse of trade talks and an imposition of tariffs of up to 30% on Canadian pulse crops — which are killing our province of Saskatchewan — which account for 95% of our agri-food exports to India.
After nine months in office, the new Liberal government has seen no progress on Canada-India trade relations. Can you give this chamber just a general sense of the status in regard to the negotiations between Canada and India on trade?
It is well known in this chamber that the Prime Minister is working very hard to improve all our relations with other countries. Ever since the Americans have changed their way of doing things and of dealing with Canada and the Canadian economy, we are making every effort possible to open new markets for Canadian enterprises. This includes India.
Yesterday, I mentioned what the Prime Minister has already done with the foreign missions that he had gone on. It’s beneficial to all Canadians, not only to those in agriculture but to every Canadian and every enterprise in Canada. We are opening new markets, and this is how we will improve our economy. I think the Prime Minister is just beginning. He has many other things to announce and to do to make sure we will have the most resilient economy among the G7.
The announcement and the attempt to sign a deal with India started back in 2015 with previous governments. It has been 10 years of inertia. Actually, we have the old Liberal government that blew up the Canada-India relations.
My question is simple: What is taking so long? The Prime Minister has gone to Qatar, to China, to the U.A.E. He has travelled the world, but he couldn’t find time to stop in one of the biggest emerging economies in the world. So this is the question: Is it maybe that the old ministers stuck in the new Liberal government are the people who are causing the same problem?
Just to reframe the timeline, the new government was elected nine months ago. In nine months, the Prime Minister has made more deals with more countries than any other Conservative government has done in the history of this country.
I think Canadians are quite proud of their Prime Minister, and that’s the reason, as I mentioned yesterday, you are still on that side of the room.
