Trade is important to the SPP, as is clearly evidenced by comments from representatives of the automobile industry and import-export tradespersons. They want a secure and smart border that will facilitate trade. I don’t think there is any problem in that respect. However, with regard to standards, values in Canada and Quebec are not necessarily the same as in the United States. Things can be exported and traded easily in a way that benefits others more than us.
I want to go back to water. In one of your reports, you asked Canada to change the position that it took in April 2002, during a meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, i.e. that it was opposed to water being considered a human right. Should it be understood then that it agreed with water being considered a marketable good? If it was a human right, without having unlimited bulk exports, there could be some minimal trade of water, but NAFTA covers all goods expressly set out in the agreement and water is not one of them. Therefore, it could become one.
In Canada, nine of the ten provinces protect their water resources and have laws banning the export of bulk water. If I remember correctly, the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act states that there is no exporting of bulk water. At this time, Canada should make formal submissions so that this is completely clear and the exporting of bulk water is truly excluded from NAFTA.