Mr. Chairman, a few minutes ago, the minister was saying that the classification used by the federal government is based on the United Nations classification. The question I am asking myself is whether we should consider South Korea or Singapore as less developed countries or as developing countries. Of course, the answer is crystal clear and self-explanatory: Singapore and South Korea are no longer developing countries, but newly industrialized countries.
I would have two short questions for the minister concerning what he told us earlier. Does the government intend to reassess the general preferential tariffs allowed to newly industrialized countries such as Singapore or South Korea? The minister was pointing to us, rightly so, that the United States, for example, had removed the general preferential tariffs allowed to those countries, but that Japan and the European countries had not yet done so.
Does the Canadian government intend to follow the United States or the wait and see policy of Japan and Europe? I would like him to inform us on that matter.
I also have a sub-question relating to the first one. The minister is somewhat leaving up to parliamentarians and committees the initiative of asking the government to consult them. I ask the minister and the government, through him: Does the government intend to directly submit the matter to parliamentarians, through the Committee on Finance or the Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade?