Mr. Speaker, I can certainly understand and support some of the comments the hon. member made with respect to ensuring that any agreements to be negotiated pass through the House and that the Canadian public should be made very aware of and be knowledgeable about what is being negotiated, how it is being negotiated and what the principles are.
Quite frankly, though, with respect to the other comments about trying to defeat the free trade agreement and trying to demolish free trade, what is the member thinking of?
Kofi Annan, the secretary general of the United Nations, and leaders of poverty groups in South and Central America and in Africa want trade. They want the obstacles and the barriers to trade removed. They said if there is one thing they want it is trade, not aid. For heaven's sake, they said, remove the barriers to trade that prevent us from maximizing our potential.
Opposition to free trade is opposition to the poorest people of our hemisphere and in this world of ours. It is opposition to them being able to get on their feet. The alternative to free trade is a country like Albania or the former U.S.S.R. I ask the member how can she justify being against free trade when the people behind the free trade agreements are trying to deal with fair labour laws and good environmental laws and trying to improve the lot of the poorest people in our hemisphere.