Madam Speaker, with regard to the point of order, I believe the member is fair in his assessment. If the Conservatives truly believed in the issue they wanted to debate this evening as an emergency debate, one would think they would be fully engaged, yet it is the absolute opposite.
Having said that, we take the issue seriously, and that is why we need to consider how the Conservatives behaved in the last go-around. I am very concerned about Canadian jobs and the impact of the negotiations on the ultimate renewed trade agreement, which will eventually have to come into being. If the Conservatives were to have their way, they, and in particular this leader, have already demonstrated how quick they are to capitulate and give the Americans whatever they might desire in order to have a signed trade agreement.
We have clearly demonstrated, on the other hand, through the last nine years, that we know how to get it done and that we have the civil servants, the political will and the desire to get trade agreements done, and for a very good reason. I can take a look at exports in my home province of Manitoba and talk about things that are maybe not well known, such as pharmaceuticals. Manitoba exports a lot of pharmaceuticals. We can talk about wheat, canola, pork, potatoes, agricultural machinery or our mining industry. Manitoba is a leading bus manufacturer in North America. In fact, I can recall reading press statements about buses being sold to New York and many other states.
These are the types of things that generate real, tangible jobs. Manitoba's pork industry is an industry I have talked a great deal about in the past because it is a great example. There are literally thousands of direct jobs for people, from hog farms to processing plants, whether it is HyLife in Neepawa, Maple Leaf in Brandon or in Winnipeg, or others. There are thousands of direct jobs, not to mention thousands of indirect jobs. There were eight million hogs last year. This industry contributes a great deal to the province. What we apply to Manitoba can be applied to every province. Exports matter and they make a difference. They contribute to Canada's middle class in a real and tangible way.
The Prime Minister made a commitment to Canadians back in 2015 to work hard in developing, supporting and increasing Canada's middle class. We did that in a number of different ways, including building a healthier infrastructure by spending record amounts of money, investing in Canadians and ultimately signing off on these trade agreements. We took a trade deficit situation from Stephen Harper and turned it into, on the positive side, a trade surplus. We looked at ways to enhance trading opportunities, which helps build that healthier middle class.
There are so many opportunities. Earlier this year, I was with the Minister of Agriculture in Manila, Philippines, where we opened up a trade office. One of the events I attended was at a local grocery store in Manila that had a profile of the many Canadian products on the shelves for sale. It was an impressive number of products. The manager said that Canadian products were in high demand. However, there is so much more potential. We also talked about other aspects of our agricultural industries at the trade office.
Early in December, in the next week or so, I will be back in Manila with the Minister of International Trade to look at ways to enhance trade opportunities between Canada and the Philippines, two great nations. There are opportunities for both countries.
We cannot underestimate the value of trade between Canada and the U.S. I thought it was very telling how the Deputy Prime Minister started off her comments earlier today when she addressed the House. She said:
Canada is the largest export market for the United States in the world. It is larger than China, Japan, the United Kingdom and France combined. It is also the case that the things we sell to the United States are the things it really needs. We sell the United States oil, electricity and critical minerals and metals
Canada is essential to the United States' domestic energy supply. Last year, 60% of U.S. crude oil imports originated in Canada, and the energy the United States imports from Canada is more important today than ever, at a time when we see how hungry AI is for energy and how important AI is in the economic vision of the new U.S. administration
She went on to talk about team Canada and listening to the different stakeholders.
However, what do we get from the leader of the Conservative Party when it is his time to shine on the trade issue? He says the Prime Minister is just having a Zoom meeting, belittling that Zoom meeting. The Prime Minister is actually having a Zoom meeting with the premiers of Canada, the first ministers of the provinces and territories. I see that as a positive thing.
It is nice to see one member across the way, even though he is not necessarily a Conservative member. I appreciate members of the Bloc filling some of the seats. Having said that—