Mr. Speaker, I profoundly disagree with the member. Canada is one of the great trading nations of the world. She of all people should understand that not only all Canadians but the province of Quebec benefit from robust trade with countries around the world.
She must be aware, or certainly should be aware, that back in the 1970s, Chile had perhaps the worst human rights record in the world, certainly in the Americas. Today its human rights regime is very robust. In fact, it has the lowest murder rate of all of Latin America. Its economy is doing well. Its banking system, I believe, is the fourth strongest in the world.
Why is that? It is because 13 years ago Canada engaged with Chile and entered into a free trade agreement. It was the right thing to do because when countries that are in the process of moving toward better human rights regimes and are engaged with countries that already have a long history of defending human rights, they do well and they improve that system of human rights.
Has my colleague looked at Chile, which is also part of Latin America, as an example that her party should be looking at to take a positive position on this free trade agreement between Colombia and Canada?