Mr. Speaker, it is a question that I am not sure everyone can answer without knowing why half of the provinces, even today, have given only an expression of interest. It must indicate to all hon. members that this is not just about saying, “Let us sign onto a treaty because it is going to provide an instrument in which we can arbitrate damages”.
It sounds so simple, but it is not. It is a very complex agreement. I believe the schedule is 50 pages long. One does not need 50 pages to say, “Let us set up a tribunal”.
Yes, it has been around since then, but Canada has come through some very tumultuous times since that time. Indeed, we continue to have disputes on trade issues. Softwood lumber is one. How do those disputes tie into the mechanisms? We have to understand this. Even under the free trade agreement, how many times were there lawsuits going back and forth, dragging on, never to be resolved?
What happened to the effectiveness of a dispute resolution mechanism? We thought that had to work. International treaties and agreements may not be as simple as we would like them to be, but all I know is that Canada has signed on and--