Mr. Speaker, the failure of the WTO meeting in Cancun should be seen as an opportunity to take stock of the whole WTO agenda and the false hope of trade liberalization and corporate globalization.
The Doha development agenda, or DDA as it is called, was DOA, or dead on arrival, because there was far too much corporate agenda on the agenda of developed countries, and far too little of an agenda that would lead to meaningful development. The developing countries finally ran out of patience with those who want them to give in on services and investment, but offer very little in return on agriculture or life saving medicines.
Instead of being a cheerleader for a dead horse, the Minister for International Trade should make Canada a leader in advocating a new model for the global economy, one in which people and the environment come before profit.