Trade  Mr. Speaker, ignoring months of study and extensive testimony, the Conservatives have decided to subvert the work of the trade committee and rush through a trade deal with Colombia, a country acknowledged as having the worst human rights track record in the western hemisphere. What steps has the government taken to ensure that human rights have been addressed in a meaningful and enforceable manner?

Trade  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives just do not get it. The Prime Minister and President Bush have been quoting each other for months to try to rush through these agreements with Colombia, ignoring serious concerns over human rights and the environment. The government's cozy ties and admiration for the Republican Party are well documented.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the report alludes to the Prime Minister so I will insert the words “Prime Minister”. --the [Prime Minister's] government would be engaging in this sort of nonsense, the very same brand of not-so-fancy footwork it once so vocally deplored. Opposition MPs must feel free to ask questions, however inane, embarrassing or clearly in the public interest.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I wanted to illustrate my personal example of the difficulty I had in committee with respect to freedom of speech and the difficulty I had putting forth this report in committee and asking questions in the House. This is tied to the issue of the motion today, which revolves around freedom of speech and parliamentary privileges.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to participating in this debate. I have heard my colleague from Mississauga South speak so passionately and knowledgeably about this issue. I will be supporting this motion because I genuinely believe the motion speaks to the core of the matter, which revolves around the concept of freedom of speech.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, the NAFTA-gate report has a number of serious flaws. Americans with access to the diplomatic memo were not called; reporters in the budget lock-up were not called; and The Associated Press that received the memo was not called. The government House leader misleads Canadians by pretending that the report clears the Prime Minister's hand-picked people, but if the investigation is so obviously incomplete, how can Canadians accept any of the findings?

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, it is that response that shows the government has no credibility when it comes to accountability. Yesterday, Senator Barack Obama all but secured the presidential nomination for the Democratic Party. The Conservative Party has made no secret of its cozy ties and admiration for the Republicans.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, I would like to remind the hon. member opposite that the report very clearly said that the indiscretions of the hand-picked people by the Prime Minister caused this international fiasco. The report clearly indicates that. My question again is specifically with regard to the role of Frank Sensenbrenner.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, again, I said this at the beginning of my remarks. This is about political responsibility. Again, he failed to see the point. The point is very simple. The government has to take political responsibility. I will quote from the report where it says very clearly, and the report says this, so I will see if the member has a problem with this, “it appears probable that Mr.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, I will be splitting my time with my colleagues from Pierrefonds—Dollard and Etobicoke—Lakeshore. This evening we have been talking about very important issues and one important issue that needs to be addressed is the government's view regarding political responsibility.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, the NAFTA-gate report indicated that there were Americans who had access to the Obama memo, yet they were never interviewed. These interviews were said to be “beyond the scope of the investigation”. This is especially troubling with recent reports alleging that the son of a Republican congressman with strong links to the PMO had the memo before it was leaked.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, the report was a whitewash, no matter what the government claims. The NAFTA-gate report leaves the leak of the Obama memo strangely unresolved. According to the report, investigators thought about calling the Associated Press but decided not to, claiming lack of jurisdiction.

Canada-United States Relations  Mr. Speaker, the government misses the point. The NAFTA-gate report was supposed to address the leaks at the highest levels of government. Instead, all we got was a whitewash and, apparently, for good reason. It was because the Prime Minister's own office was the source of all the leaks, including the memo that was given to the Republican Party.

Canada-United States Relations  Mr. Speaker, the government is embarrassing Canada on the international stage. Last Friday the NAFTA-gate report glossed over but also confirmed the role of Ian Brodie and Michael Wilson in starting this diplomatic incident. However, one key question remained unanswered: Who leaked the confidential memo?

Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, when we pursue free trade agreements, it is a two way negotiation process, a give and take. The fact that there are long tariff reductions, a made in Canada procurement policy, that supply management is protected and that for the first three years there is no tariff reduction, all these very much play into our national interests, and they were addressed in the free trade agreement.