to serve as Canada's Minister of International Trade. Fast oversaw the negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union, which some saw as a giveaway to big pharma. As part of the newly-elected Liberal government in 2015, Chrystia Freeland one year later finalized the negotiations which had been ongoing since 2009. Fast was also responsible for the Canada-China Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments Agreement, which was signed in 2012 and came into force on 1 October 2014. This agreement ties Canada "to the terms... for a minimum of 31 years." On 3 December 2014 Fast announced the Canada-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA), Canada's first free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region. In November 2013, Fast announced the Government of Canada's Global Markets Action Plan – a plan focusing on Canada's core strengths in priority markets through bold trade policy and vigorous trade promotion. He also released Canada's first International Education Strategy, a part of the Global Markets Action Plan, in order to attract international talent. The CBIE termed it an "ambitious strategy, with a goal to double the number of international students choosing to study here (in Canada) by 2022." On 9 April 2014, rising on a point of order, MP Dan Harris accused Fast of making a gun gesture and saying "boom" in the direction of Nicki Ashton during Question Period. Fast denied the claim and asserted that he was pointing in the direction of the Speaker of the House of Commons. Video from the House of Commons shows Fast making a pointing gesture. After the video circulated, Minister Fast acknowledged that he had made a pointing gesture with his hand, but said that his hand gesture was misinterpreted. Social Issues Abortion Ed Fast is anti-abortion. Fast is a volunteer and member of Campaign Life Coalition (CLC). Fast voted in support of Bill C-233 - An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion), which would restrict abortion access, making it a criminal offence for a medical practitioner to perform an abortion sought solely on the grounds of the child's genetic sex. Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada describes him as an anti-abortion Member of Parliament. Conversion therapy On June 22, 2021, Fast was one of 63 MPs to vote against Bill C-6, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy), which was passed by majority vote, making certain aspects of conversion