Mr. Speaker, while a fifth round of negotiations is under way to discuss a free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union, we have to wonder about the Conservatives' commitment to defending the cultural exemption clause, as was highlighted by Louise Beaudoin, former Quebec minister of culture and now the member for Rosemont.
And perhaps we should be worried, given the response from the Minister of International Trade, who laughed at the question, saying, and I quote, “I do not think that Canadians are worried that our television, literature and other parts of our culture will be overtaken by an influx of, say, Lithuanian literature.”
The minister must understand that cultural diversity needs to be protected because it is at the heart of our identity and whatever is offered to the Europeans should also be required of the Americans.
Since the Conservative government's real intentions concerning the cultural exemption clause are unclear, I invite the Minister of International Trade to come and testify at the heritage committee to explain seriously how he intends to ensure that the treaty on cultural diversity, which Canada promoted and signed, will be respected. I will propose this motion in committee this afternoon.