Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Minister, welcome to the committee. We appreciate your time here.
Minister, this deal is described by trade negotiators as a deal where--and these are their comments--they were sent in to just go in there and do a deal at any cost.
Earlier, you said something that was very important. We have to talk to our local companies in our ridings about the jobs that are affected--to grow or not to grow, or to lay off. You said how the Federation of Canadian Municipalities supported the agreement. I'm not here to doubt what you said or what you might have heard they said, but they also did say, sir, and I want to quote what they said--that they were not consulted in the negotiations. They also pointed out to us here in committee, and I'll quote them: “...you can't very well do a deal that includes municipal procurement without including the experts in municipal procurement.
I'll leave that to your discretion and how you want to respond, sir.
You also said you included the provinces. I too am very pleased that all the provinces, NDP or not, have come together and put water in their wine to move forward for Canadian jobs.
What you're telling me, then, sir, is that I should respond to my constituents within the greater city of Toronto in this way: if they are losing jobs, if the companies are expanding, the provinces should be blamed. Is that what you're telling me, sir?