Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government obviously has no intention of turning a blind eye to human rights abuse which may be reported in a certain number of countries around the world.
In the speech I made before the House, and in the presence of the Leader of the Opposition, I very clearly expressed the desire to pursue, but in a different way, our goal of getting all countries to respect these most fundamental civil rights. I also stated that it was not wise or appropriate to sever our ties with countries which may not pursue the same democratic goals as we do.
The Leader of the Opposition knows full well that we are confronted with high unemployment which has to be dealt with, that our government's priorities are economic recovery and job creation and that, consequently, part of our economic recovery plan depends on greater efforts to promote international trade.