Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague from the New Democratic Party, and her description of Honduras and the importance of human rights.
However, I remember the NDP provided some support to the Canada-Jordan trade agreement some time back. The reality is that Jordan continues to have significant human rights issues. I assume the reason why the NDP supported the Canada-Jordan trade agreement was that the NDP believed in that case that economic engagement would foster better engagement on human rights issues.
I just looked at the Human Rights Watch website tonight to get an update on Jordan. It says:
Jordanian law criminalizes speech deemed critical of the king, government officials, and institutions, as well as Islam and speech considered defamatory of others.
Perpetrators of torture or other ill-treatment continued to enjoy near-total impunity.
I am not saying that it was wrong for Canada to sign an FTA with Jordan. In fact, this economic engagement can actually improve human rights engagement and dialogue.
However, why does the NDP believe that a free trade agreement with Jordan, with its human rights abuses, is fine, and yet one with Honduras would not be fine?
Is it perhaps, and I do not want to be cynical, that the NDP were looking for one free trade agreement that it could say, “We supported that, so thus we are not so ideological as our opponents may accuse of. We actually supported one free trade agreement?”
If the only free trade agreement the NDP has ever supported was with Jordan, that creates a real challenge for Canadians watching this discussion on human rights and trade tonight.