Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify that those types of agreements are indeed very valuable and they are of paramount importance. However, they are binding agreements, so we have to negotiate carefully. Canada is actually on the losing end of this particular agreement.
Generally speaking, in negotiations, both parties must gain something and the benefits must be comparable. However, in this case, too many measures are actually placing Canadian investors and Canadian industry at a disadvantage. We run the risk of clandestine legal action. The lawsuits could be secret. Canadian taxpayers will pay a bill without even knowing that the Canadian government has been sued.
From a legal standpoint, this agreement is not well structured. If the agreement had been good and negotiated properly, I would have been happy to support it. I recognize that the Chinese government's investments are important for our country. However, this agreement is really not good and we cannot support it, because such a binding agreement with so many flaws is really dangerous for the future of our country.