Madam Speaker, I have followed this debate and I will go back to the onset of this whole crisis. I go back to the American rally in Montana in July after the border closed. I can still remember the mayor of Havre talking about the relationship with Canadians and about the Prime Minister. He pointed out our mistakes with our diplomatic relations with Japan and how poorly we treated the Japanese. He thought that we not only insulted them, but that had we shown some sort of outreach toward them then perhaps we would not have been in this situation today.
I find it really ironic that the government is working so very hard now. A headline in the Globe and Mail says: “Canada, Japan take step toward free trade”. Where was Japan two years ago? Why was Canada being so smug and not realizing it was so important to sit, speak and renew relationships with Japan?
I do not think this was a figment of anybody's imagination. It did exist. I also heard that we denied Japanese scientists entry when our first case was discovered. Does the member agree that we have lots of problems with our relationships? Who is making these mistakes with our relationships?