Mr. Speaker, that is probably the longest question in the history of the House of Commons. The member did come to the point so I suppose he deserves a response.
It is our position that the Canada-Costa Rica free trade agreement is more notable for its omissions than what is in it. When we talk about core labour, environmental standards and basic human rights issues it is not just the NDP talking. We are not the enemy here. We are not the only voice in the wilderness calling for these things. It is the ILO, the United Nations, and international NGOs from around the world that are calling for a more progressive attitude toward our trade policies.
I know the hon. member has a thing about the NDP. He wants to place us as the enemy or the lone voice on this issue. In actual fact the rest of the world agrees with us. Most of the developed nations are questioning their role and trade as an aspect of their overall policy.
I will use the European Union as an example. If free trade agreements were comparable to the economic harmonization within the European Union, we would not have any objections and I would not be standing here complaining. However in that case one is dealing with countries that are a lot more similar in size and shape. There is not the incredible imbalance in the power structure between the two signatories.
I have used the example of when the lion lays down with the lamb, the lamb does not get much sleep. That has never been truer than in a situation like this one. It is an overwhelming imbalance in the power relationship between the two signatories to this agreement.
That is not true in the European Union. It is finding consensus and agreement that took 20 years to negotiate. The agreements at the European Union were not written on the back of a napkin.
The deal we have here was signed at the Quebec summit. While we were protesting outside the fence the deal was being signed inside the fence. It was a hasty and flawed job because it failed to address the real issues that most people care about. These are issues that would affect the quality of life of the people in those countries.
What else matters? If profit is the only motive then we have a satisfactory document. However it falls short if it was intended to elevate the human condition by using trade agreements. There is nothing radical about an observation like that. It is an objective opinion that we could do better.
It is a missed opportunity any time we enter into one of these trade deals that does not use every tool in our toolbox to try to elevate the human condition. What else is it all about and why else are we here?
I resent the tone and the content of the hon. member's intervention because it fails to appreciate the legitimate concerns I am trying to raise. I speak for a significant percentage of the population when I do that.