The U.S. system and their way of consulting are different from ours. In the Canadian system, as we know, there is this process of consulting and discussing with this committee; then there is the treaties and Parliament process that we have. That's the mechanism by which the government consults with members of Parliament in relation to trade agreements. The U.S. process, as I understand it, is slightly different. I think there are situations in which certain members of Congress have limited access to negotiation text in relation to their constitutional authority. Our constitution is structured differently. My understanding—and I'm not an expert in this regard—is that it flows from the manner in which their constitution is derived.
On March 25th, 2014. See this statement in context.