Madam Chair, as a result of Brexit, our third-largest trade partner, the U.K., has announced that it will be reimposing tariffs on Canadian exports. At the same time, the U.K. has reached out to Canada to begin negotiations on a new free trade agreement that would eliminate those tariffs, but there's a problem. The Prime Minister has repeatedly failed Canadians—whether they're farmers, aluminum workers, auto workers or forestry workers—on the trade file and on the bad NAFTA deal that they negotiated. Now the Prime Minister has an opportunity to rehabilitate his tattered reputation on trade. The U.K. is anxious to negotiate free trade agreements with like-minded partners, including Canada.
Can the minister tells us what steps have been taken to engage with the U.K. on a free trade agreement, and will the minister assure us that this government won't again betray our dairy, egg, and chicken farmers and the aluminum industry the way it did in the new NAFTA?