Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, many members of the House share the same concern. I know I do. Members not only from Atlantic Canada but across the country, especially from British Columbia as well, share concerns about the shipbuilding sector and the fact that the industry might be exposed to tremendous competition from EFTA countries, specifically Norway.

Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, again, I believe the member is referring to the comments I made with respect to the announcement by the leader of the official opposition, on February 20, with regard to a $50 million commitment to create a foundation to strengthen ties with Asia. There is no doubt that the member from British Columbia is very concerned about that because British Columbia acts as a portal to Asia.

Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, I take great pride in the fact that I have an opportunity today to speak to this very important bill, Bill C-55, with respect to Canada-EFTA, now referred to as CEFTA, the Canada-European free trade association agreement. From the outset I want to indicate our party's position on this very important bill, which is that the Liberal Party supports this deal, but calls on the government to continue to monitor and consider the issues around shipbuilding and the shipbuilding industry because this is something that has been brought to our attention on numerous occasions.

Canada-EFTA Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, I listened very carefully to the minister's remarks. I have two specific questions for the minister. The first question is with respect to the free trade agreement itself. In his remarks he mentioned that it is simply a generation one agreement and deals strictly with goods.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, the government is mired in controversy. Let me remind the government that it has been eight weeks since the Prime Minister promised Canadians that he would get to the bottom of the NAFTA-gate leaks, leaks that implicate his inner circle. It has been eight weeks and counting.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, NAFTA-gate was a serious breach of government security which damaged our international reputation and implicates the Prime Minister's inner circle. Yet the government secretly outsourced the investigation to a private company. Why did the government choose BMCI Investigations?

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, this is another example of how the government has misled Canadians about accountability and transparency. The Prime Minister has had five weeks to investigate the NAFTA-gate leaks. The Prime Minister even told this House that Kevin Lynch would conduct the investigation.

Science and Technology  Mr. Speaker, the space industry provides high paying, high value added jobs across the country, the sort of jobs we should be fighting tooth and nail to keep in Canada. We know the American security regulations make it difficult for foreign companies to sell to NASA, yet some countries are able to have those requirements waived.

Science and Technology  Mr. Speaker, I am glad the minister mentioned the SPP because this issue is very important. It is not only about our jobs; it is about our sovereignty. On February 6, the American buyer ATK had this to say about RADARSAT-2, “the key for us is to be able to move that technology, transfer that technology into the ATK U.S. space”.

Trade  Mr. Speaker, the NAFTA-gate story just got a lot more interesting. Last Thursday we learned that the Privy Council Office outsourced the investigation of sensitive diplomatic leaks to BMCI Investigations & Security Ltd. of Ottawa, a private company. Yet, the government never said a word about this decision.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, the Vienna Convention states that diplomats have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of another state. Therefore, not only has Michael Wilson damaged our relations with the United States, he has violated one of the fundamental principles of diplomacy. Yet the Prime Minister refuses to remove the ambassador for leaking confidential information to the media.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, the job of the Canadian Ambassador to Washington is our most sensitive diplomatic post, so sensitive that the Prime Minister usually appoints someone who he can trust to manage such an important relationship. Yet, it seems our current Ambassador, Michael Wilson, forgot the first rule of diplomacy, knowing when to keep his mouth shut.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are so desperate they are trying to sweep this issue under the rug. For days now I have asked the Prime Minister to be clear about who is under investigation for the multiple leaks of sensitive diplomatic conversations. At least two of these leaks came from the Prime Minister's inner circle: chief of staff Ian Brodie and Ambassador Michael Wilson.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, first, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Ian Brodie, leaked sensitive diplomatic conversations to the media. Then, a classified memo was leaked from DFAIT. Now, we learn that the Canadian Ambassador to Washington, Michael Wilson, leaked the same information to a reporter.

Canada-U.S. Relations  Mr. Speaker, it is a matter of trust. The world now knows that the Prime Minister's office cannot be trusted with confidential information. His chief of staff, Ian Brodie, started the NAFTA-gate scandal by casually discussing sensitive diplomatic conversations to entertain reporters.