Mr. Speaker, as part of the government I speak for a more significant part of the Canadian population in that survey after survey has shown that over 70% of Canadians support freer and liberalized trade. Therefore I will stand with the 70% and my colleague from Winnipeg Centre can stand with the 30% if he chooses.
I listened to his remarks and several times he cited that the EU as a great example in trade agreements. I attended on behalf of the Minister for International Trade a trade discussion day concerning less developed countries. I hope my colleague will listen to this point because I will ask him a specific question and expect a specific answer with no ducking.
At that trade discussion day EU ministers of development were categorically opposed to including labour agreements in trade deals. The very EU ministers that he cites with such praise were categorically opposed, led my none other than the U.K. minister, Clare Short.
Would my colleague from Winnipeg Centre tell us why the NDP seems to be one of the few voices anywhere in the world that is insisting that labour agreements be included in trade deals, when almost everyone else including his cousins in the U.K. labour party is saying that it would lead to back door protectionism?
How could the member ignore the comments of a man like Kofi Annan who said that liberalized and globalized free trade are the best possible courses of action we can take to help the poor countries my colleague addressed in his comments?
I have never had an answer from the NDP on those two points, so I am anxiously awaiting one now.