When we're talking about diversification of trade, we probably need to think about a sectoral approach to it. Western Canada has different comparative advantages, with energy and agriculture resources that are definitely needed throughout the region, and services and other products that can be delivered to Canada may be more suitable to Southeast Asia.
I think we need a more nuanced approach to thinking about what we mean by diversification, but we also need a federal government that's going to unleash or release some of the untapped resources that exist within Canada.
Right now, in terms of energy, critical security and our critical minerals, this is an area that many of the countries within the region are very interested in, but they find the current policies of the federal government frustrating because they're not able to get the kinds of resources that will create more economic security for the partners within the region. We should be very clear that it's not serving Canadians either.
