Mr. Speaker, throughout negotiations, our government has been committed to transparency, inclusiveness and openness. We engaged and consulted with a variety of stakeholders from all economic sectors, with labour organizations, women, youth, indigenous peoples, civil society organizations and academics. We also worked very closely with our provincial and territorial colleagues and delivered a whole-of-Canada approach to advancing Canadian interests across the table.
There has been a lot of praise given to this government for negotiating this deal and it is thanks to many stakeholders and industries across the country, including the Canadian Labour Congress and Unifor.
As the Prime Minister said, we are very grateful to Canadian stakeholders who took part in these consultations. The views provided were very helpful in informing Canada's position at the negotiation table and in finding creative solutions to address the unconventional proposals at the table.
Jerry Dias and Hassan Yussuff have worked closely with us every step of the way to ensure that this deal would be the best possible one for workers, for labour and for Canadians. This close co-operation with stakeholders and labourers is why this deal is great for Canadian workers.
The member opposite will be happy to know that the enforceable provisions in the new NAFTA that protect labour are the strongest in any Canadian trade agreement to date. The new auto rules of origin will directly secure the future for auto workers in cities such as Windsor and Oshawa. Jerry Dias, of Unifor, has said that this is a much better deal than the deal that was signed 24 years ago.
The new agreement also reinforces the strong economic ties between Canada, Mexico and the United States while recognizing the importance of inclusive trade by including key outcomes in areas such as labour and the environment as well as on gender and indigenous peoples.
It preserves Canada's preferential access to the U.S. market while updating and modernizing the old NAFTA agreement in areas such as digital trade, telecommunications and anti-corruption. Importantly, it means that Canadian workers and their families will enjoy greater opportunities than ever before.
The member opposite will also be happy to know that with the new agreement, we have sought the strongest labour chapter of any trade agreement Canada is party to. The agreement's labour chapter aims to level the playing field on labour standards and working conditions in North America and contains commitments to ensure that national laws and policies provide protection for fundamental principles and rights at work.
The new agreement also contains enforceable provisions that protect women's rights, minority rights and indigenous rights and environmental protections that are the strongest in any Canadian trade agreement to date.
For the first time in a Canadian trade agreement, the outcome incorporates a general exception that clearly confirms that the government can adopt or maintain measures it deems necessary to fulfill its legal obligations to indigenous peoples. As Perry Bellegarde said in a statement, “The provisions addressing Indigenous Peoples in [the deal] make it the most inclusive international trade agreement for Indigenous Peoples to date.”
Through the ratification process, we look forward to bringing the agreement to Parliament, and this includes the Standing Committee on International Trade, which it was my honour to serve on for two years with the member opposite. I look forward to the future of this agreement.