Mr. Speaker, while our government has an ambitious pro-trade plan to open up new markets, the opposition continues to stand in the way of new opportunities for Canada's exporters. Canadians have long known the NDP to be beholden to radical anti-trade activists.
In today's National Post, columnist John Ivison writes that the leader of the NDP “seems to have outsourced his trade policy to Maude Barlow and the Council of Canadians”.
The NDP also opposes our government's free trade agreement with Panama, an important Canadian trade investment destination in the Americas. At the same time, the Liberal member for Malpeque has shamefully made negative comments about the agreement.
The Liberals and the NDP should explain to Canadians why they oppose new opportunities for one in five Canadian workers whose jobs depend on exports.
The New Democrats cannot hide from their anti-trade record. In challenging global economic times, Canadians know that it is only our government that has a pro-trade plan to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity.