Mr. Speaker, the hon. member talked about a range of trade issues, but I want to stick to the subject of the debate here tonight which is agriculture.
I want to first of all point out that the ruling in the United States in terms of pork indicated that no countervail action was to be taken. It had to do with anti-dumping issues and not countervailing issues. The reality is that Canada clearly does not subsidize its pork industry.
He raised another issue which has been brought up in the House on a number of occasions, one which is important to re-emphasize. It is not President Bush's position that the border ought to remain closed between Canada and the United States in the trading of live cattle. His position is the exact opposite. He is supportive of opening the border. He has indicated clearly that he is willing to take what for him would be an unprecedented step which would be to cast a veto should Congress move to disallow the particular rule.
The U.S. administration is clearly speaking in the same voice as Canada, that the border ought to be opened and it should be opened on the basis of science. That science exists and it states clearly that there is a strong regulatory regime in Canada to ensure that animal health and human health are protected.
This is not an issue between the President and the Prime Minister or between the USDA and the Canadian agriculture ministry. It is the result of a group in the United States which brought a court action and achieved a temporary injunction which the USDA intends to vigorously argue against.
The member talked about a litany of other issues, but in terms of the agricultural issue, the Government of the United States and the Government of Canada clearly have a similar position in that respect. In terms of this particular agricultural issue there is no division between Canada and the United States. Both governments believe that the border ought to be opened and it should be opened based on science and that it should occur now.