Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Chatham-Kent—Essex for his support for the EFTA treaty.
Certainly, I would like to thank the Liberals for their support for the free trade agreement as well. They rose in the House today and said they will be supporting this treaty, which is a good deal for Canada and a good deal for the four European nations that we will be signing it with.
It should be noted that Canada's exports to the EFTA countries are worth $5.2 billion and Canadian direct investment in the EFTA countries is in excess of $8.4 billion. This is a good deal for Canada. It is a good deal for the European Union. It gives us a toe hold and a foothold into a greater marketplace than we have ever had and it is important for the economy of this country.