Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the hon. member for Kamouraska--Rivière-du-Loup--Témiscouata--Les Basques for his question. I feel it is totally appropriate, even central, to this debate.
On the one hand, we are told that this agreement is not, in the end, all that serious because it repeats the terms of the agreement with Chile, more or less, which is inspired by NAFTA. It gets passed just like that, while they are fully aware that this is just one more agreement that is not seen as satisfactory by increasing numbers of people in the Americas, or in any of the democratic world.
In Quebec and in Canada, more and more people no longer accept the way governments negotiate these trade agreements with impact on all aspects of our lives, economic—and on that we are all in agreement, I think—social, cultural , or environmental.
Either we act as if there were no problem, and pass this implementing legislation because we have nothing against Costa Rica, which is true—in fact our feelings toward it are far from negative—or we take advantage of this opportunity, as my colleague has said, to hold an indepth debate, not just on this agreement but on the entire process leading up to free trade agreements, be they the one with Costa Rica or future agreements with Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador or within the framework of the free trade area of the Americas.
For me, there is an extremely important principle at stake, one that has moreover been referred to by the French Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin. Mr. Parizeau has used it as well, often, but I believe it merits some thought. Within the framework of trade agreements, whether continental or international, countries may delegate part of their sovereignty in order to ensure proper administration, to ensure that an agreement is properly implemented and respected.
But in no case must the sovereignty of states, democratic states in particular, be handed over to private interests.
As far as Chapter XI of NAFTA is concerned, that is what is happening; the same goes for the agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Costa Rica for the promotion and protection of investments.
I believe we have an opportunity here to regroup, to ensure not only that this agreement is beneficial and gets signed, but also that the coming agreements with the four other Central American countries and with all the other countries of the Americas, meet our wishes that they serve the interests of the general population, not monied interests.