Good afternoon. I welcome everyone to this committee on international trade.
I have heard you express concerns. They are legitimate and I encourage you to stick to your position. As you know, we have had many job losses in the manufacturing sector here. Ms. Lamoureux mentioned the losses in Quebec. Others of you indicated that across Canada, job losses reach 300,000. In Quebec alone, almost half the jobs in the sector have been lost. The government could have intervened and put in place a safety net in Quebec to protect our industries like textiles, furniture, bicycles. It did not intervene. Bills were tabled in the House, Bill C-411, for example, to establish international trade standards for dumping, standards like the ones in Europe and the United States. The bill was voted down.
So your concerns are justified because we see the jobs being lost only when these agreements are signed, sealed and delivered. Then the government just lets things take their course. I think it is very important that the members of the committee are able to receive the information that you are providing today. It is essential because if we sign an agreement, jobs are lost—as you say—and then the manufacturing sector disappears.
On December 4, 2007, the Minister of International Trade appeared here. He told us that there would be no signed agreement because he did not have the economic evidence and analysis confirming that a Canada-Korea agreement would have any benefits. We held hearings—we have done so for almost three or four months—we met the automobile industry, and everyone told us that we have a significant trade deficit with Korea, as Mr. Moynahan pointed out. It seems to have been $2 billion or $2.5 billion for years.
Should we just close the books? If we want a fair and equitable agreement that upholds workers' rights, their quality of life and so on, I think it will be very difficult. What do you feel are the issues in this Canada-Korea agreement? Is it possible to have a fair and equitable agreement that reflects our realities and lets us achieve a trade balance?