Mr. Speaker, I would speak to my friend from Halifax West through you. I am very disappointed that the Liberal Party thinks that this treaty is better approved as is than put forward right now for a vote and defeated.
This treaty is a direct assault on Canadian sovereignty. It disproportionately protects the rights of state-owned enterprises of the People's Republic of China. By its very nature, because of the larger economic investment flows into Canada from China than in the other direction, the treaty would disproportionately impact Canadian laws, Canadian regulations, and our own sovereignty. At the same time, I dispute what we have been hearing all day from the Conservative MPs, that we would be protecting Canadians operating within China, because under this treaty, there is a unique provision for six months of diplomatic pressure that can be applied by the People's Republic of China before any dispute gets to the arbitration panel.
My prediction is that Canadian businesses will be sold out by their own government for fear of offending Beijing.