Mr. Speaker, I welcome the new critic from the Liberal Party to the Standing Committee on International Trade. I look forward to working with him on issues around jobs and protecting Canadians.
We know that the current government is the most protectionist in history, but it protects corporate CEOs and bankers. It has no fear to wade in, but when it comes to protecting ordinary Canadian jobs, it refuses to do anything and refuses to act. As we see with the EFTA agreement, it will be targeting and eliminating potentially thousands of jobs in shipbuilding, as it did with softwood.
Marine workers from the member's province of Nova Scotia have said very clearly that the EFTA agreement is a matter of concern. I will cite one line from Les Holloway, representing marine workers in Nova Scotia, who asked the standing committee, “How, in good judgment and conscience can your committee recommend anything other than that this agreement should not go forward?”
Given that marine workers have said that this will be devastating, given that we have had testimony from other parties saying that this will be devastating, is the member prepared to engage his party to vote no on the EFTA agreement?