Mr. Blair Wilson (West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, while British Columbians are working hard to build ties with our Pacific Rim partners and become a world-class hub of trade, the Conservative member for Delta—Richmond East is busy trying to tear down what British Columbians have built and the plans they have made.
Yesterday the member said that it makes no sense to push ahead with the Pacific gateway strategy. Why has the Minister of International Trade not condemned these irresponsible remarks and when will he defend the Pacific gateway strategy from attacks from his very own caucus?
Mr. James Moore (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from my colleague because it allows me an opportunity to remind this House the great news that this government announced last week.
We announced that we are delivering $1 billion to the Asia-Pacific gateway. From the Hudson Bay Company, through the FTA, through NAFTA and now the Asia-Pacific gateway, Canada always has been and always will be a trading nation. This government is doing everything it can to ensure that it will continue to grow in the international sphere.
Premier Gordon Campbell said it best. He said, “The B.C. caucus of the federal government, the Conservative caucus, has done a great job of grabbing this initiative” and making it a success for British Columbia.
We are getting the job done.