Mr. Chair, I appreciate the minister being here tonight to discuss this. He has been open to discussion with us in the past.
The question on which we want a little more clarity is that we have a promise from the government to monitor what is coming over the border. For nine years we have seen what has been coming over the border. We have lost 50% of our ice cream market and we have not seen any action.
Maybe this minister is a little more energetic than the last minister, but we want to have a real clear message to producers that if this trade appeal that is going before the CITT fails, the government will stand up and apply article XXVIII. That is the question, and we are hearing a very different message from the international trade minister, who cannot seem to think under what circumstances Canada would stand up and apply article XXVIII.
We are not saying tonight that we want the minister to stand up and immediately invoke article XXVIII. We recognize there have to be negotiations. However, we want a message to our producers and to the international markets that if we do not have action soon and if we do not have our way, then we will invoke it. It is not a question of just having it in the toolbox.
Will the minister commit tonight to ensure that the government will apply article XXVIII if we do not have a reasonable response within a reasonable length of time?