From what I've seen in other locations, I think a good example of free trade agreements that have worked particularly well is the arrangement we have with China. It provides equal access for Canadian transport companies—Air Canada and others—to access China, and for Chinese airlines to access Canada. That's a very good example of something that's very desirable.
I think my colleague, Mr. Staples, referred to the European arrangements. That's another good example, especially now with the expanding free trade arrangements with Europe. I think there's going to be great opportunities for all airports in our country. I think Halifax could be a big beneficiary, and Montreal, and others, because it makes other cities in our country more accessible.
Where I think it becomes more dangerous is where there is no real true reciprocal benefit to be derived. For example, if we get unlimited lending rights in a country that has no important origin destination traffic, it really doesn't have high value to us as a country.
Quite frankly, my concern is if we build too big a network overflying the European hubs, it will have a very significant detrimental effect on the lift we have to those European cities.
Montreal is very well-connected to Europe, but if all that traffic that is connecting into Europe and over Europe gets moved to a Middle East carrier, then that will significantly affect our access to the European market, undoing a lot of the effects that we're working on in the European free trade arrangement. That's where I get concerned.
I think we have to be very careful. I'm all for liberal markets, but there have to be reciprocal benefits to our country when we enter it.