Mr. Speaker, I compliment the member on his thorough comments on the bill. It reflects very much the constructive way in which the members from his party participated in the discussions which we had on this matter before the trade committee when these proposals were originally being considered.
The member was not a member of that committee but he may recall that his party, as was pointed out by the member for Brandon—Souris when he spoke earlier this morning, filed a dissenting report to the committee's report with respect to the bill outlining the recommendations made to the government.
Curiously enough, the Reform Party's recommendations drew to the attention of the committee and thus to the House, when it was filed here with the House, the fact that when dealing with the United States it is important that we deal with it in a calm, measured and appropriate way.
In the subcommittee dissent the Reform Party pointed out that getting tough with the Americans could be a strategic error. Its report states: “And since we rely so much more on exports than do the Americans, the damage to the entire economy in such a process of escalating SIMA type trade disputes could damage seriously the entire Canadian economy. Thus getting tough with the Americans would be a mistake. Rather we should work through proper channels. We share this opinion and urge the government to resist the demand for using tough measures with the Americans”.
What was good about that is good about the process where we are dealing with the Americans today over transborder transfer of grain and meat into the United States. It is exactly the same problem.
This government is suggesting we work through proper channels. We use our legal remedies. We are not going to sit and be shouted at and told we have do something dramatic or crazy. That was the position of the Reform Party in that. I suggest it should be its position today. What does the member think of that?