International Trade committee  I first went out with CUSO in the late 1970s as a high school teacher, and then went back as a practising lawyer in a two-man office of Baker and McKenzie in Jakarta, in the late 1980s.

International Trade committee  I haven't seen that. What I've seen is what makes for a successful exporter and a successful Canadian business going abroad, and it's not trade agreements that produce success. For Todd, with all his efforts and the strength of his technology, his fax machine's not going to be ringing off the wall, if it's on the wall, the moment this deal is ratified—

International Trade committee  That's right. I'm sorry. His email account is not going to be overloaded—

International Trade committee  There used to be very strong programs. I remember being out in Asia when.... What were they called, Mission Canada? What Canadians realize when they get out there is that they have to be interested in exporting and supplying services as well as in investing, and the two things often go hand in hand.

International Trade committee  As we speak, we have people in Europe to speak against CETA, so quite clearly, that is where we stand. One of the things I'd like to point out, as you go through your list, is that these documents are no longer traditional trade agreements. When I cut my teeth in the early 1980s in this space, trade agreements were about dumping, safeguards, tariffs, and that sort of thing.

International Trade committee  Yes. I don't think we have enter into the TPP in order to ensure that happens. I think we have to open our schools and give people the opportunity to come here and do things. This is not going to change the day after the TPP is ratified.

International Trade committee  Because of all the time that I spent in southeast Asia—Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei—I would be very surprised if this agreement is going to have a material impact on the ways that they regulate themselves and do business in a way that enhances Canada's ability to export or invest there.

International Trade committee  I believe you have a copy of the statement, so I'll skip to the most important part.

International Trade committee  Canada is now faced with a “take it or leave it” decision, ratify or not. We favour rejection of the TPP for various substantive reasons, which Brigette mentioned. We do not believe or know—and this is important—that the TPP is in the best interests of Canadians. There are also process reasons to reject the TPP, including the manner in which Canadians participated in the negotiations—many did not—the degree of secrecy, and what we view as unbalanced consultation during the negotiation process.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much.

International Trade committee  My name is Doug Tingey. I'm a member of the council's Winnipeg chapter and a business lawyer with a background in international trade and foreign investment. I spent nearly 20 years in southeast Asia as a foreign investment adviser, but very little of what I'm going to say relates to that.