I can. Thank you.
This is about the side letter with Japan under auto. I think we discussed auto in the previous meeting. They are quite unhappy. It has been described by many, including the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, as useless, saying that the document will not help Canada gain access into the Japanese market.
I can read you a quote from Flavio Volpe, the head of that organization. He said:
...the Minister's drive to achieve another vanity trophy paid for by the regular people who work in Canada's auto sector is amazing to watch and I congratulate him on this ignominious achievement.
Another quote that I would like to read is from Jerry Dias, who is currently in negotiations around NAFTA. He said the side letters mean nothing and they are unenforceable. He said:
It's lollipops and rainbows. We've dealt with side letters in NAFTA which have proven to be inherently useless....
There is a call to draw attention to the fact that the side letter has no enforceability whatsoever. Across the North American auto sector, the Canadian auto sector, they are united in saying that they will not be able to get any reciprocal access to the Japanese auto market. In fact, the Canadian Labour Congress is united in its protest against it.
I will read a quote from the CLC president, Hassan Yussuff.
The way this new deal was suddenly announced, without any consultation or transparency, is undemocratic and flies in the face of the government's claims that it is standing up for workers in trade negotiations....
Can you answer—and I think it's a simple answer—as to whether the side letter is enforceable? It's yes or no, essentially.