Mr. Speaker, in its policy statement on foreign affairs and international trade tabled today, the government expresses its firm intention to diversify our trade relations with Asia since, in its opinion, Canadian trade is too focused on the U.S. market.
Nowhere in its statement does this government describe the U.S. as a strategic market for Canadian exporters. It sounds like an updated version of the famous third option favoured by the Liberals in the 1970s.
Does the Minister for International Trade intend to cut human and financial resources allocated to the promotion of trade with the U.S. and reduce the number of trade commissioners, as suggested by Liberal senators and members of Parliament on the special joint committee?