Mr. Speaker, the Departments of Foreign Affairs and International Trade recently distributed a fine document in celebration of the first five years of life of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The report presents a scorecard of impressive statistics including a marked increase in trade with the U.S. and Mexico. Added to these global data are seven success stories highlighting quotes from spokespersons in various sectors.
What concerns me is that while I too am committed to open door trade policy, the reports of the impact of NAFTA are highly selective. To obtain a more complete picture we need to see the other side indicating the compromises to our environmental protection policies and our heritage and cultural strategies.
Even if it is difficult to isolate the causes and effects of trade agreements, we have a duty to aim for the utmost transparency, and to present both the negative and the positive aspects of the situation.