Madam Speaker, I reflected on this in my speech. I will remind my colleague again that those are things we need to consider, talk about and debate. To reject them out of hand at the beginning of the discussion is unwise. We will have the possibility of the reality of our biggest trading partner keeping us on the outside looking in if we do not look at those kinds of questions.
Let me paint a practical application. Imagine that the United States puts in place some regulations having to do with air travel such that all flights in the United States have an air marshal on them. We have already heard the Minister of Transport reject that in this place as a radical notion. Let us say that our government decides we will not have air marshals on our flights to the United States which originate in Canada. A very real, practical application is that those flights would not get into American air space any more.
For us not to talk with our closest trading partner, ally and friend would be negligent. We must talk about these things. We must consider them and take concrete action to work together. It will have a devastating impact within our own economy and on our own way of life in Canada if we take an anti-American, holier than thou attitude on these kinds of things. We cannot do that. We have to get rid of that kind of rhetoric and openly, honestly and in a bipartisan way work together to solve these problems.
It will impact all of us as members because it will impact all of our constituents, no matter what region of the country we represent. As we know, approximately 80% of our population lives within an hour's drive of the border. To not ask these questions and not consider them at the beginning of these kinds of debates would be irresponsible. We must consider these kinds of questions raised by the member.