Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present to the House for a third time a petition calling upon Parliament to reject the Canada-Colombia trade deal until an independent human rights impact assessment is carried out, and that the agreement be renegotiated along the principles of fair trade, which would take environmental and social impacts fully into account while respecting labour rights and the rights of all affected parties.
The petitioners are deeply concerned about the violence against workers and members of civil society by paramilitaries in Colombia, and the fact that over 2,200 trade unionists have been murdered since 1991.
All Canadian trade agreements should be built upon principles of fair trade, which fundamentally respects freedom, human rights and environmental stewardship.