Mr. Speaker, New Democrats believe that the magnitude of this deal and the potential impacts of increasing foreign investment by state-owned enterprises in the energy sector necessitates that the government consult with Canadians rather than grant approval through a secretive and unaccountable review.
The New Democratic Party, the official opposition, has put this motion and chosen to devote one of our opposition days to this very question. We are inviting stakeholders, not just the Canadian public but the Canadian business sector generally, the oil and gas sector, academics, experts and businesses and industries that are operating in the trade concerned and people who have experience and expertise in Asia to come forward and give us their views before we make an informed decision.
We did not have any criteria for the net benefit test. We are calling on the government to publish those criteria so Canadians and the parties in the House can make an informed decision before approving such an important deal.