Mr. Speaker, I work closely with the hon. member, and I can say that the citizens of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and of Canada, are well served by his fruitful and enlightened questions and the information he provides in debate in the House and within communities.
I agree that Canada is a trading nation. We have to ensure that we provide more opportunities for our businesses to grow. Taken together, Canada has 14 FTAs in force, covering 51 countries, that connect our businesses to 1.5 billion of the world's consumers.
This is about knowing that Canada is a trading nation and about how we can open up market access for Canadian businesses so that they can grow. When Canadian businesses grow, they create more jobs in their communities. When they create those jobs, Canadians are better off.
That is why we believe that by making investments in Canadians and in small businesses, we will see a more prosperous economy. We will continue to ensure that we do that work, because it is in the best interest of all Canadians.