PM Stephen Harper talks EU trade deal in Montreal

A group of fewer than 100 protesters gathered outsidePrime Minister Stephen Harpers appearance at the Montreal Board of Trade on Friday with chants against the Conservative government.

Harper was in town to participate in a question-and-answer session with Board of Trade President and CEO Michel Leblanc about the Canada-EU trade deal.

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Harper was accompanied by Denis Lebel, the Quebec Conservative minister responsible for infrastructure, intergovernmental affairs and the economic development agency of Canada.

Quebec, particularly Montreal, and all Quebecers have played a crucial role in reaching this historic agreement, Harper told members of the business community who were in attendance at Montreals Palais desCongrs.

Activist Jaggi Singh gathered the small group of protesters beside the convention centre despite a heavy police presence. The group used Harpers presence in Montreal to protest against a number of the Conservative governments policies.

Montreal police said no arrests were made and the demonstration went smoothly.

When the Canada-EU trade deal was announced in October, Quebec cheese producers said new allowances in the importing of tariff-free European cheese would hurt their bottom lines.

The Parti Qubcois government said at the time that they would make sure dairy farmers would becompensated for any losses. Quebec Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau added that the trade deal would actually benefit Quebecers.

Its an opportunity for growth, for jobs for Quebec. I think thats what we need in the context where we have seen our exports to the U.S. decline over the last 10 years, Marceau said last month. I think its a very big deal. Its an access to a large number of customers and markets.