Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege for me to present a petition on behalf of a large group of petitioners from throughout the province of British Columbia and on behalf of my New Democrat colleagues in the House of Commons who support the petition against the MAI in principle and in content.
They point out that the MAI is simply one more step in a series of these agreements which, in the name of liberalizing trade and investment, expands the power of multinational corporations at the expense of the powers of governments to intervene in the marketplace on behalf of our social, cultural, environmental and health care goals.
The petition is too long to recite. It goes on to give hundreds of reasons to oppose the MAI. It is an honour to present it today, the first day back in this session of parliament.