Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade.
The Minister of Health said yesterday that the 20 year drug patent protection under Bill C-91 cannot be changed because of Canada's international trade obligations. Afterward, international law exports said that Canada can change Bill C-91 to allow for cheaper prescription drugs for Canadians under the NAFTA article "ordre public, section 1709(2) and article 27(2) of the WTO code.
Can the minister tell us if there are any public interest exceptions permitted under these or any articles of the NAFTA and the WTO as they pertain to drug patents or any other intellectual property?