The truth hurts, Mr. Speaker.
We finally got the Minister of Transport to stand up today after a while.
Why does the government not amend Transport Canada legislation to protect our farmers and give them a service guarantee? This is something that the government can do. The Liberal Party has indicated that the potential amendments are already there. We know what they are. The government could act on these today. It is amazing, but with the co-operation of all political parties we could pass legislation awfully quickly.
The government needs to send a message to the prairie farmers that we care. However, the Conservatives have not been able to do that.
Therefore, when we talk about trade, we must think about the bigger picture of trade and what we need to do not only maintain it but also to improve and grow the markets and take responsibility for that.
The government has not been responsible on this file, overall. The government needs to be accountable for the bottom line figure.
Unlike the NDP, we understand the benefits of trade. We understand the concerns with regard to environmental issues and social issues. We are just as sensitive to those issues as any other political party inside the chamber, but that does not mean that we cannot continue to move forward.
The NDP critic asked about what was happening in Ukraine. He is referring to the fact that under the old Ukraine regime, there could be no trade agreement. Regimes come and go, but trade will continue on. We would like to think that we could have an impact. NDP logic would have trade banned with countries they do not deem worthy enough to trade with Canada. That would mean cancelling a lot of today's imports and exports.
We can do better. We want to see trade agreements that would benefit Canadians, first and foremost. As well, we want to see trade agreements that would improve the conditions in other countries around the world. Canada can benefit, if the government manages the file. One example is Honduras.
Pork is an important industry to the province of Manitoba. Manitoba has more pigs than it has people. We cannot consume all the pork, so we need export markets, and Honduras is one of those export markets. With this particular agreement, Manitoba would be able to export more pork to Honduras and thereby benefit. I have been out to the hog farms and to the Burns slaughter plant in Brandon. A lot of jobs have been created as a direct result of the pork industry in Manitoba. Our province has seen the economic benefit of that industry. Not only here in Canada but also around the world, consumers eat first-class, quality food because of this important industry in Manitoba.
I recognize the value of free trade agreements when both nations can benefit.
Last week in question period, I asked what the government is doing with respect to concerns relating to the pork industry and some of the feed being called into question in certain regions. To what degree is the government coming to the table to protect the integrity of that industry? Once again, the government is lacking.
The government needs to take a more aggressive approach in addressing the needs of our communities. It needs to come to the table and help resolve problems where it can. Pork farmers not only in Manitoba but also in Quebec and other places are concerned about the integrity of the industry because of the feed that is being brought in. They want the government to take some action on that important file. We all have a vested interest in that file, especially when we are talking about the Honduras trade agreement before us today. It is very important.
Honduras has a population of roughly 8 million people. Some of its most notable exports are the production of minerals, coffee, tropical fruit, sugar cane and, recently, clothing to the international market. Its clothing industry is growing quite significantly.
Honduras is in a critical area of the world. It was back in 2001 when the negotiations really started about recognizing the need to have and work toward trade agreements with countries such as Honduras, which we are debating today, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. There is a need for Canada to do what it can in reaching out and improving the economic conditions of other countries. Canadians as a whole want us to do that.
We do not need to live in fear of free trade agreements. There will always be some shortcomings, and we need to be aware of them. I want to see our Canadian workforce on an equal playing field with other countries we compete with. It is frustrating to me and to many within the Liberal Party when we see distinct subsidies that would assist one country and potentially harm industries within our own country.
No one has complete ownership of that issue. We are all concerned. We all want to save the jobs we have. I, for one, understand and appreciate many of the different industries in my home province and I want them to grow. I referred to the pork industry. We have other industries that I take a great deal of pride in. The aerospace industry is one of them.
One industry where there is great potential for growth is tourism. It would be wonderful to see more people from Honduras coming to Canada, and Canadians ultimately visiting Honduras. We are seeing an overall increase in world travel. The spinoff benefits are phenomenal. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of jobs worldwide, and tens of thousands of them here.
I see that my time has virtually expired. As members can tell, we support, in principle, the passage of this particular bill. The Liberal Party does not fear free trade. It sees trade as very beneficial. If we recognize that Canada is so dependent on international trade, I suspect that there might be more support from all sides of the House. Canada needs trade, and we should be looking at countries where there is great potential.
I conclude on a very personal note. One country that I feel very passionate about is the Philippines. It is one of our greatest sources of immigration today. I would argue that we need to get beyond immigration and start looking at trade and what more we could do in trade and tourism.
There are many great countries around the world and we need to tap into them. If we do it right, Canadians and the middle class will benefit, because it will generate tens of thousands of jobs, and improve the quality of life not only for Canadians but also for people around the world.
