Mr. Speaker, in 1995 this government passed Bill C-103 to block split-run magazines in Canada. In 1997 the World Trade Organization found our split-run tax in violation of trade commitments. Yesterday however, for the second time in four years this government took measures to impede split-run magazines in Canada. This violates the spirit and quite possibly the letter of our trade agreements.
If we are not prepared to respect the trade agreements we sign, how can we expect other countries to keep their word? When we sign an international agreement, we make a promise that other nations rely on. If Canada does not like the terms of a treaty, then we should not sign it. However, this government likes to sign deals and then pass laws ignoring their provisions. Ignoring international agreements minimizes their impact. That in turn undermines the regime that separates orderly trade from chaos.
Can the government not see that if enough countries ignore World Trade Organization rulings, the World Trade Organization itself will become unravelled and not workable?