Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Calgary. We enjoyed the first half of his speech better than the second half.
The author of “The Lexus and the Olive Tree”, Thomas Friedman, wrote after the Quebec summit the following:
That is not surprising, because if you actually look around Africa you see that the countries that are the most democratic, where the people have the most freedom to choose—South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana—are the most pro-trade, the most integrated in the world economy and the most globalized. The countries that are led by dictators, are the least open and where the people have the least freedom to choose—Sudan, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Libya, etc.—are those most hostile to globalization, openness and trade in goods and services.
At the end of his article he refers to protesters by saying:
By inhibiting global trade expansion, they are choking the only route out of poverty for the world's poor. Which is why these “protesters” should be called by their real name: The Coalition to Keep Poor People Poor.
I wonder if my hon. colleague would answer on behalf of members of the New Democratic Party what they would say to these comments.