Human rights trumps trade: what a refreshing idea, Mr. Harper!

My concern about world trade as we know it, via such organs as the World Trade Organization, is that it seems designed solely for the benefit of corporations. China is a good example. Workers in China have few rights and are denied the basic freedoms. This leaves them wide open to exploitation by employers, and international corporations take full advantage. Even though this provides in effect a huge subsidy for Chinese-made products, it hasn't precluded China from membership in the WTO. The reason, one suspects, is that while it harms workers both in China and those abroad who must compete with this artificially cheap labour, it benefits corporations.

I found it refreshing, therefore, when our prime minister declared he wouldn't allow trade to overshadow concerns about China's appalling human-rights record. He may not be talking about worker exploitation; nonetheless, he is saying the right things. "I don't think Canadians want us to sell out our values, our beliefs in democracy, freedom and human rights. They don't want us to sell that out to the almighty dollar," he is quoted as saying. Amen to all that, sir.

Sadly, I fear the business community will eventually get to him and point out that in the real world of global commerce, the almighty dollar does come first. In the meantime, he has thrown down a gauntlet to the Liberals and the NDP. Do they believe human rights trumps trade? I, for one, will be watching their response to Mr. Harper's challenge very closely.