Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague opposite and I conclude in the end that he thinks that the United Nations should find a way to deal with crimes against humanity.
In my opinion, there are some inconsistencies between what we are hearing today from the government side and reality.
I will remind the House that Pierre Sané, the president of Amnesty International, was in Ottawa on April 11. He spoke on the issue of human rights and trade.
I will highlight a number of points he raised. I believe he was right when he said: "The fight to protect human rights can only be fought on a global scale otherwise it will be lost before it starts". He added: "In this era of globalization, the question is to know how to ensure that exchanges are not limited to goods, information and money, but also include values".
Could my colleague opposite explain through which magical trick his Prime Minister believes that trading with countries with no regard for human rights is going to address, just like in a crystal ball, the issue of the violation of human rights? In this regard, I will remind the House that in 1994, the Prime Minister said: "I could make resounding speeches on the issue and make headlines, but I prefer to open markets and trade; eventually, the walls will fall". My colleague from Laval East said earlier that even the Canadian Exporters' Association is considering a voluntary code with respect to trade relations with countries that do not respect human rights.
How can the government believe that the issue of human rights will be settled as if by magic?