Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. It arises out of the press conference held this morning by Lloyd Axworthy, the former minister of foreign affairs, and the current member for Don Valley West. They claimed that the debate over the northern command is as important now as the debate in the 1980s over free trade. Mr. Axworthy also expressed the concern that trade is now trumping sovereignty, something we in the NDP have been saying in the House for the last few years.
I ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs, or the Deputy Prime Minister preferably, does he accept the analysis made by Mr. Axworthy this morning, or is it the government's intention once again to sell out the country like it did during the free trade debate?