Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely right when he indicates that the New Democratic Party very much favours rules based trading. The issue is whether the rules are going to be enforcing the things that matter to us most. That is why, if the member reads the motion we have put forward, we have made it clear that we must secure in those rules enforceable ways to protect core labour standards, to protect our environment, to protect cultural diversity, to preserve public health care and public education and generally the right of democratically elected governments to act for the common good.
Yes, it is important that we have rules which create fairness for Canadian corporations that want to and are able to compete in the international arena. But let us not do it at the expense of workers, at the expense of our environment and at the expense of things that matter most to Canadians.
The member asked whether we think current trade agreements have been good for Canadians. There have been some benefits, but there have been some immense losses, not the least of which is the severe erosion of the income and the quality of life of too many of our Canadian citizens.