International Trade committee  I would just make two points, quickly. It is the position of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers that since--not un-coincidentally, in our view--the free trade agreement was signed in 1988 and then since the NAFTA was signed in 1993, there has been a gradual erosion of what I would call the standards of labour legislation in Canada.

International Trade committee  I can answer that quickly. When there were negotiations ongoing regarding the FTAA, the free trade agreement of the Americas, for example, a draft text, you may recall, was made available prior to the somewhat now notorious gathering in Quebec City, and the same process has not been followed with respect to this agreement.

International Trade committee  Labour legislation in Canada is primarily a matter of provincial jurisdiction, as I imagine the member is aware. But in the federally regulated sector, of course there's uniform federal legislation.

International Trade committee  I think that's essentially correct. I mean, there are infractions of labour law in virtually any jurisdiction that you might care to look at closely. That's why you have enforcement mechanisms. The broader point we would make is that if one is going to accept the proposition--and I think we're getting to the point where we have to accept the proposition--that capital and corporations are going to act transnationally, then we need to look at meaningful ways that labour rights can be enforced transnationally as well.

International Trade committee  We do. We'll be making an opening statement of eight to ten minutes.

International Trade committee  I'd like to thank the committee, and the chair of the committee in particular, very much for having us here today on behalf of the 350 or so members of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers. As the chair already indicated, with me today is Nick Milanovic. I'll be giving the first half of our brief presentation, and Nick will be doing the second half.