Canada-Jordan Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  I can see the Conservatives are waking up again, Mr. Speaker. That is good. I am happy to hear that. This is the type of information exchange that will hopefully lead to progress in our country. However, DFAIT could not produce the figures in real terms. A dollar is not a dollar when it diminishes over time due to inflation.

Canada-Jordan Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, we have seen the Liberals' slavish devotion to everything the Conservatives bring forward, which is a big reason why they are down in that corner of the House of Commons. Every time the Conservatives brought forward a bad deal, badly negotiated, something we could see would have a negative impact, the Liberals voted for it.

Canada-Jordan Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, the real question is this. When have the Liberals ever voted against a Conservative bad bill? As members know, the softwood lumber sellout cost 60,000 jobs across the country. The Liberals voted for it even though they knew it would lead to the hemorrhaging of jobs across the country.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North is very intelligent. I was not impugning at all on his intelligence. He is an intelligent and effective member. I was questioning his alertness during my speech. That is all I was questioning.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Four. My answer was four.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I cited four trade agreements that we supported. There was the auto pact. I talked about the EU binding agreement on human rights.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I would hope the member would show the politeness of actually listening. There was the Mercosur binding social agreements. I also talked about Australia's move away from investor state provisions. Do we vote for bad Conservative trade agreements? No, only Liberals do, because they do not read the agreements.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North did not bother to show up for the debate. In two-thirds of my speech I talked exactly about that—

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I was referring not to his physical absence, but obviously a mental absence. If I spent 10 minutes talking about that particular issue, I would have expected he picked it up. I referred to the examples that we have repeatedly put forward to the government around Mercosur and its binding social obligations, anti-poverty obligations, the binding human rights obligations that are contained in European Union agreements, as well as Australia and its movement gutting the investor state provisions because that is simply not in the public interest at all.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Throughout our discussions on this free trade agreement, we have suggested amendments to include a sustainable development clause in the agreement. The Conservatives have systematically rejected every amendment. I have been in the House for eight years, and I have noticed that, every time changes or amendments are suggested, the Conservatives systematically reject them.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, that was the most pathetic attempt I have heard yet to try to turn the channel. So we are both on the record, the parliamentary secretary knows full well that the family was killed by military connected to the government. That family was brought forward not by me but by Human Rights Watch, a very reputable human rights organization.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by talking about the NDP approach to fair trade issues. As members know, we have come forward in the House for years and offered some of the best existing practices on trading issues around the world. We have come into the House and talked about the binding social obligations of Mercosur, for example, by social democratic countries in South America that have come together and put in place binding social obligations to reduce poverty.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I work with my colleague from Kings—Hants on the trade committee and on finance. We do not always agree, in fact, often we disagree, but there were many points in his speech with which I did agree, particularly the point that the mean-spirited government's cut backs on addiction programs and crime prevention programs have helped to fuel what has been an ongoing problem in Canada.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, it is great to come back to the member for Prince Albert because he is well aware that the NDP put forward a series of amendments to this bill because, as with most of those who are concerned about dirty drug money laundering, we believe that an agreement like this without a tax information exchange agreement is not a prudent or responsible course.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I like the hon. member and I certainly think he put what is a fairly poor argument from the government's standpoint across as well as he could. He is dealing with the PMO's talking points. The reality is the government has been a massive failure on trade. Canada now has the largest merchandise deficit, the largest current account deficit on balance of payments in our country's history.