Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is the opening in Toronto of the first official round of negotiations on the inclusion of Chile in NAFTA, which, according to the Minister of International Trade, will make this agreement more vigorous, flexible and open. We are pleased to note this sudden conversion to free trade on the part of the Liberals, who so fiercely opposed the signing of the free trade agreement with the U.S.
Today, the federal government is in favour of every free trade initiative: free trade with Asia by 2025, free trade with Europe, free trade here, there and everywhere. That is Canada's new motto. A sovereign Quebec will make an economic association offer to Canada. Given our current commercial ties, this is an offer that can hardly be refused.
With a volume of trade with Canada 150 times that of Chile, Quebec certainly has at least equal merit.