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FederalDid not become law (session ended)40th Parliament, 1st Session

Bill C-2 explained in plain English

An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the States of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Republic of Iceland, the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Kingdom of Norway and the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Swiss Confederation

Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

Short answer

Bill C-2 implements free trade and agriculture agreements between Canada and EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) and separate agriculture agreements with Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament
Legislature / Parliament
Parliament of Canada
Session
40th Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill C-2
Full title
An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the States of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Republic of Iceland, the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Kingdom of Norway and the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Swiss Confederation
Current status
Did not become law (session ended)
Latest event
At second reading in the House of Commons
Last updated
Dec 1, 2008

Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.

Chamber
Parliament of Canada
Current Stage
At second reading in the House of Commons
Latest Activity
Dec 1, 2008
Plain-language explanation

AI-generated from official bill text; automatically checked and spot-reviewed.

AI-assisted
Short Version

Bill C-2 implements free trade and agriculture agreements between Canada and EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) and separate agriculture agreements with Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

What It Means

Bill C-2 is an act to implement free trade agreements and agriculture agreements between Canada and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), as well as separate agriculture agreements with Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland. The bill would establish the legal framework to enforce these agreements, which likely involve trade rules, tariff reductions, and agricultural terms. The Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway is named as the responsible official.

What This Bill Does
  • Establishes the legal framework to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and EFTA states
  • Creates mechanisms to enforce agriculture agreements with Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland
  • Assigns responsibilities to the Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway
Who Is Affected
  • Canadian businesses trading with EFTA countries and Iceland, Norway, Switzerland
  • Agricultural producers and exporters in Canada
  • Government agencies responsible for trade and agriculture policy
  • The Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The bill text does not specify exact measures or timelines for implementation
  • Details about how specific provisions of the agreements will be enforced are not provided
  • No penalties, fees, or specific programs are outlined in the summary text
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Canada–EFTA Free Trade Agreement
Implementing provisions

Enables Canada to fulfill its obligations under the free trade agreement with EFTA countries

Agreement on Agriculture with Iceland
Implementing provisions

Establishes rules for agricultural trade between Canada and Iceland

Agreement on Agriculture with Norway
Implementing provisions

Establishes rules for agricultural trade between Canada and Norway

Agreement on Agriculture with Switzerland
Implementing provisions

Establishes rules for agricultural trade between Canada and Switzerland

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. Coverage is limited to the official text extracted for this bill version.

Official text

Parliamentary Process

Step 1
First reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 1
First reading
Dec 1, 2008
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Introduction and first reading, Dec 1, 2008
End of stage activity, Dec 1, 2008
Chamber sittings
Introduction and first reading - Dec 1, 2008

We don't have a plain-language summary for Introduction and first reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
Date not listed
No activity

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 4
Report stage
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 5
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Stockwell Day
Sponsor party or district not listed
Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament

No published representative vote breakdown

This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.

Official sources

This plain-English summary is based on official legislative sources and public records. It is intended for civic education and is not legal advice.

How this data is sourced