TRADE

February 19, 2001

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, that was one of the dumbest answers I have heard and, believe me, that is going some.

My second question is also for the Minister for International Trade. It has to do with the way in which he as the minister has been misleading the Canadian public with respect to the GATS.

We have a study done by the CCPA which shows that Canada's health care services are in fact critically exposed now under the GATT and will be even more exposed under the agenda that is now before the GATS. Will the minister stand in the House and indicate Canada's intention to take out a general exception—

Hon. Pierre Pettigrew (Minister for International Trade, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the GATS explicitly excludes “services supplied in the exercise of governmental authority”.

With respect to these services it is absolutely clear. I have been saying it in the House and I have not misled the House, as the member of the NDP just said in his question, which is not an appropriate parliamentary way of doing it. The GATS is clear. Services supplied in exercise of governmental authority are excluded