Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We spoke earlier about the social, environmental, and labour agreements that you've been putting in as part of the EFTA. I would like to stress that we're very appreciative of the example your four countries have set. You have some of the highest standards on the human development index that is put forward by the United Nations of any countries in the world. So you've managed to achieve that balance between economic strategy, trade strategy, and social policy to ensure that the population benefits.
In Canada we can learn from that, because since the first free trade agreement in 1989, we've actually found most Canadian families earning less in real terms now than they were then. So for most of the Canadian population under the free trade regime, without having the other safeguards in place and without having balanced social policy in place, most Canadian families are worse off.
I have three quick questions. The first is for anyone who wants to answer. How do you balance the trade and economic policy with social policy to ensure that the entire population benefits?
Secondly, taking a strong stand on defending your agricultural sector and your rural areas.... In Canada we are under some attack from the United States, wanting to take apart our Canadian Wheat Board and end our supply management practices, and this government unfortunately seems to be conceding in those areas. How do you defend agriculture in a very real way for the benefit of your rural communities?
Finally, to the Norwegian delegates, I would like to mention that in 1996 Alberta's heritage fund and the Norwegian heritage fund from oil revenues were about the same, and six years later Norway's has gone up to over $100 billion and Alberta's has actually shrunk. How are you ensuring that the benefits from oil exploration and the petroleum industry actually go back to Norwegian citizens?