Thank you, Madam Chair.
I believe I stated this at the beginning of the meeting, but I'll just correct the record.
The Canada-United Kingdom continuity trade agreement has not been signed. The negotiations have concluded. We have reached an agreement, but there is no text for signature yet. That is what the lawyers are preparing right now.
I would just encourage all members to take note of that. It is not like there is a signed agreement sitting in anybody's drawer at the office that we are not sharing. There is no signed agreement yet.
Again, as I mentioned, this is all happening very quickly. The announcement was made on Saturday morning, and the minister is appearing on Monday next in order to respond to some of the concerns and questions that have been raised by colleagues on all sides regarding next steps and the passage in the House.
I think I'm hearing a consensus. Certainly, Mr. Blaikie has raised a proposal that I find very interesting. I won't speak for others, but I think it follows very well from what some of the Conservative colleagues have been saying, in that perhaps we should conclude our interim report with as much information as possible at this time, and then move on to a full study of the agreement once we have the text and once everybody can appreciate the details of this continuity agreement.
Madam Chair, I don't know how you wish to proceed, given the time. Would you like me to put forward the proposal? If another colleague would like to do so, I am certainly open to perhaps Mr. Blaikie putting it forward as I believe it was his suggestion.
