Madam Speaker, I wanted to take a few minutes before the hon. member finished his five minutes to talk about Bill C-248. I have been in the House 10 years now and as a result have been through this debate on a number of occasions.
I chair the subcommittee on foreign affairs and trade disputes. One of the issues we look is issues like this bill. It worries me that the intent of the bill would contravene some of the international agreements under the World Trade Organization.
Agreements such as those under the WTO, I think all members would agree, contribute to Canada's economic growth and help Canada in terms of its exports around the world. Certainly in terms of our policy we would not want to support legislation that contravened very important trade agreements that have been very beneficial to Canada.
Being part of the global marketplace brings significant benefits to Canadians. There is investment in Canada in new plants and in research and development which is critical for creating direct new jobs. We also have good access around the world.
The WTO requires a 20 year patent protection. A pre-1993 compulsory licensing regime and a 17 year patent term would not be in line with the WTO—