Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Timmins for providing some light on this subject because clearly after what we just heard, a lot of light is needed.
In fact, it was interesting in the deliberations at committee that there was reference to NAFTA and chapter 11. There was talk about NAFTA and chapter 11 with Canada and even the FTA with Chile. Most of our bilateral foreign investment protection agreements, the FIPAs, and this agreement are kind of at parallel purposes but the thing that is similar is what they do in terms of who gets to be heard.
The dispute settlement option that can be chosen by investors is in both the state of the investor and the host state of the investor, and their party to this agreement. What is fascinating, however, and that is to discern between these two kind of formats, the chapter 11 method and the method that we are describing today, is the transparency. What we do not get from the government is a clear indication of where the transparency is.
If we look at the trade agreements that have been passed and where the deals are done, given that Canadians I think value more than anything transparency and accountability, why does the member think that this particular arrangement is going through so quickly? It has been around since 1966 and all of a sudden there is a need to have this in place.
The previous Liberal governments, the Liberals are now supporting it, did not think it was something they needed to do but now they think it is the greatest thing. The current government thinks it is something that we have to have. In his opinion, why does the member think we are having to rush this thing through? What are Canadians going to benefit from it?