Mr. Crosbie:

Millions, if not hundreds of millions, billions of dollars of damage was done because investors had to hold back. They could not carry out their planning because of the uncertainty created by the opposition Parties.

On November 21, the people of Canada spoke, but the opposition Parties still want to carry on creating uncertainty.

Ms. Clancy:

They spoke to us too.

Mr. Crosbie:

Mr. Newall said:

The end to uncertainty about free trade gives them the opportunity-

That is why this legislation has to be passed this week. That is why it has to go into effect on January 1, because we have to end the uncertainty. It is our duty to end the uncertainty. It is a virtue to end the uncertainty. The uncertainty must be ended.

Hear, hear!

Mr. Crosbie:

Having damaged this country terribly in the last six months or a year, the opposition Parties want to continue to damage the country by going through this charade that we have gone through the last few days.

Mr. Milliken:

Utter nonsense.

Mr. Crosbie:

We are not going to go along with that. We are ending the uncertainty. We were elected to govern. We are going to govern whether or not the Opposition likes it.

What about the positive amendments?

Mr. Crosbie:

There has not been a positive statement from the ranks of the Opposition since they got into this House on November 21, not one positive statement.

Not one from Kingston and the Islands.

Mr. Crosbie:

Absolutely. Luigi had it right.

I want to emphasize that while the agreement creates a framework for greater stability and opportunity in Canada-U.S. trade it does not mean an end to trade disputes. Will opposition Members listen to this for heaven's sake so we can avoid a lot of silly, tedious questions in 1989? It does not mean an end to trade disputes, and no one ever suggested, except on the opposition side, that it did. Our trade disputes with the United States will continue, Mr. Speaker. They may even accelerate. They may grow in number and profusion because the United States is still under heavy pressure. The Americans still have a huge balance of payments deficit. They still have a huge deficit in the balance of trade. They are still nervous as cut cats. We have an elected Congress that is just as protectionist now as it was six months or a year ago. This does not mean an end to trade disputes, but it means we have

December 22, 1988

much better defences when it comes to trade disputes with the United States of America.

I am telling the Members of this Chamber today that there will be plenty of trade disputes with the United States of America in the future, but because of the foresight of this Government we will be in a position to deal with them from a position of much greater strength than Canada was in a position to deal with them before.

Ms. Clancy:

How?

Mr. Crosbie:

I am asked how. You understand, Mr. Speaker, that the opposition Members have not read the agreement.

Ms. Copps:

You haven't read it. You said so yesterday.

Mr. Crosbie:

I was accused of not having read the agreement simply because-

Ms. Copps:

You said so yesterday, that you still haven't read it.

Mr. Crosbie:

I admit it. i have never read the pages with all the algebraic equations. I do not think there is a Member here in the House who has read them either. I do not intend to read them. I am not going to read them.

The Member from Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte (Mr. Tobin) is going to look up A minus B over C over X minus Y equals the power of how much grain will be subsidized in the future. That is up to him to read it if he wants to.

Ms. Copps:

It is the power of Washington.

Mr. Crosbie:

I knew something was missing. Suddenly my ear drums puffed out and there was the Hon. Member for Hamilton East (Ms. Copps).

The question was how. The institutional mechanisms and the common rules of conduct that are created by this agreement put Canada in a far better position to promote our interests and defend ourselves against protectionist actions. Isn't it strange how every other country in the world would give anything to be in our position in this Canada-U.S. deal?

Oh, oh!