Mr. Speaker, he has done it again. Yesterday, the hon. Minister of International Trade signed yet another free trade deal, this time with the Republic of Honduras.
With the new Canada-Honduras FTA, Canadian exporters, service providers and investors will benefit from enhanced market access. For example, this deal is worth up to $7 million per annum for beef and pork producers. This, along with Canada's EU trade agreement, is the most ambitious trade expansion plan in Canadian history. It will create new sources of prosperity for Canadian businesses of all sizes and for their employees.
Despite the New Democrats' rhetoric on liberalized trade, its anti-trade partners tell the real story. As the Council of Canadians leader, Maude Barlow, recently stated in regard to the Canadian-EU trade agreement, the NDP is only worried about “optics”. The NDP leader needs to be honest with Canadians. His party would isolate Canada from the rest of the global community. Thank God Canada has a Conservative government that understands the importance of trade to our economy.