Mr. Speaker, I am going to be optimistic given that our own government and our own Prime Minister are attempting to convince the American president and members of Congress of the importance of this non-protectionist approach.
I am convinced that Mr. Obama will not go up to bat first if he does not believe that trading partners—whether Canada, Mexico, Japan or Europe—are firmly committed to open markets even in times of crisis.
I believe that the Canadian government has failed to apply pressure on Mr. Obama and the American legislators in order to convince them that we have the right approach.
Therefore, we must first call on the Prime Minister of Canada and the current government to apply adequate pressure. A letter—a very polite letter—from Canada's ambassador, Mr. Wilson, is not enough to convince Mr. Obama to step up to the plate and solve the problem.