Members of the Standing Committee for International Trade will hold an emergency meeting Friday morning to talk about Canada's strategy as it heads into the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation.
Vice-Chair Essex MP Tracey Ramsey and other opposition members called for the meeting after the U.S. released its list of demands earlier this week. Ramsey would like to see a similar list from the Trudeau government.
"I think it's so important, especially in our area, that we understand how many jobs are at risk," Ramsey says. "With all of these jobs on the line, the Liberals still haven't disclosed their priorities for NAFTA, and we feel strongly that it's time that they do so."
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says she would be happy to meet with the committee, but a date has not yet been set.
The Trump Administration wants to boost its agricultural exports including dairy products, wine and grain, freer trade in telecommunications and online shopping, new rules on currency manipulation, and an overhaul of the system that handles trade disputes.
That final point concerns Ramsey.
"Chapter 19, it's a dispute panel that we've used in NAFTA quite well," she says. "To see them removing that is concerning because we won't have the ability when we have a trade dispute and bring it to that body. We'll end up having to go further up."
The talks will be the Trudeau government's first trade negotiation, and she says Canadians have a right to know what the federal government's goals.
"We're not asking for their negotiating tactics... but certainly sending a message to Canadians about the fact that we will be standing up for the industries that are affected, we will be standing up for jobs is something that can easily be done," Ramsey says.
Last month, Ramsey and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau demanding to see the plan for the renegotiation process. The letter also outlined the party's concerns about jobs, the environment, labour standards, and supply management systems.
Talks are expected to start around August 16.