We absolutely should.
Let me quote to you from this paper that we're going to be giving you from the North American Future 2025 project. I've been talking about water, but it's full of many interesting things. They talk about:
In order to remain competitive in the global economy, it is imperative for the twenty-first-century North American labor market to possess the flexibility necessary to meet industrial labor demands on a transitional basis and in a way that responds to market forces. This demand will prompt policymakers [in all countries] to think creatively about prospective policy options.
That sounds to me very much like what they're proposing with the Atlantica project in Atlantic Canada and the northern United States. They're talking about bringing down the minimum wage and labour standards to the lowest of whichever jurisdiction has those lowest standards. So it's bringing those standards down.
This is all about merging with a country that has cut welfare by 13% every year since George Bush took power in 2000. As one woman said to me, “Well, he has created lots of jobs. I myself have three of them.” This is what life is like living under George Bush, and if that's what we want in this country, that's where we're headed.
We're asking our legislators here to consider and listen to those Canadians. We think we're the majority who want good relationships with our United States friends and neighbours. Many of us have family there, but we do not want to give away the right to maintain our own standards and one day influence the standards in that country to go higher.