Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister a question. Last week, there was talk of lifting all quotas on textile and clothing imports from China. I know that this is not strictly related to the bill before us this morning, but it is along the same lines.
When the government implements measures affecting tariff and non-tariff quotas—for example, to decrease them—does the government consider the potential impact on Quebec and Canadian companies? In particular, does it consider unfair competition from those countries? For example, it is commonly known that there are doubts about China's willingness to practise fair competition with regard to our own apparel companies, especially if quotas are lifted.
Many apparel manufacturers in my region of Saint-Hyacinthe, as in the regions of most of my colleagues, were hurt by this announcement. Already, subcontractors are looking to China, abandoning local producers to buy from countries that do not necessarily practise fair competition.
I want to ask the minister this: Does Canada consider this kind of thing? I am not talking about a mere transition policy to help companies; I am talking about ensuring that competition is truly fair. There are no problems when trade is fair. But when it is not, we do not want to pay the price of unfair competition.