NDP leader Thomas Mulcair speaks at a conference. (Photo: www.ndp.ca)

OTTAWA Tom Mulcair is urging traditional NDP allies to wait until they see the fine print of a Canada-European unio free trade deal before assuming its unacceptable or that hes sold out.

The federal NDP leader has parted company with some labour unios, environmental groups, anti-globalization activists and at least one provincial NDP leader just by expressing openness toward free trade in general and a trade pact with the EU in particular.

But while hes more open to free trade than any previous NDP leader, Mulcair says that doesnt mean hell agree at any cost.

RELATED: EU official says Canada must change its positions for free trade deal to happen

Instead, he says hell weigh the advantages of expanded trade opportunities against the need to protect the public interest on everything from the environment to banking standards to prescription drug prices.

Hes trying to strike a tricky political balance as well, assuring corporate Canada the NDP is no longer a bunch of knee-jerk anti-trade extremists as Prime Minister Stephen Harper likes to depict New Democrats without alienating traditional NDP allies.

Were not buying a pig in a poke. We havent seen the final text of this (Canada-EU deal), Mulcair said in an interview.

But were not giving a blanket refusal either in advance.

The anti-free trade Council of Canadians has expressed disappointment with Mulcairs openness to an accord with the EU. The Canadian Auto Workers unio has grave concerns about the impact of a deal on Canadas car manufacturing and auto parts sector. And British Columbia NDP Leader Adrian Dix has openly worried the deal could extend patent protection for brand name pharmaceuticals, hiking the cost of medications for Canadians.

But Mulcair said such pre-emptive opposition to a deal before the details are known is not in the best interests of a country as heavily reliant on trade as Canada.

You know, if you start off by saying, Its this, this and this and you go around Canada saying, The sky is falling, well, if the text proves you right, then thats fine. But the sky hasnt fallen yet.

The NDP has itself traditionally taken the Chicken Little approach to trade deals but thats changed under Mulcair.

The difference now is that, instead of just saying what we dont like about the old agreements, were also saying why were in favour of more trade, he said.

We want to knock down non-tariff barriers. We think that more trade is a good thing for Canada. A lot of our economy has been built on trade but we want to make sure we are looking at things like labour standards, like environmental protection, like human rights.

These are things that determine who you want to be on a level playing field with and whether you should be signing these deals.

Since he assumed the helm a year ago, the party has supported its first free trade pact, with Jordan, has urged expedited negotiations on a deal with Japan and wants priority given to negotiating similar accords with India, Brazil and South Africa _ all countries the NDP considers to have sufficiently high labour, environmental and human rights standards to make worthy prospective trade partners.

Mulcair has been particularly enthusiastic about a free trade deal with the European unio, negotiations on which have now reached the crunch stage.

Its a good starting point to be dealing with Europe. Its a 500-million person market. They generally speaking have institutions quite similar to ours, they have the rule of law, they have independent tribunals, theyve got long-standing institutional stability that is a good thing for us to be dealing with.

While New Democrats are embracing trade, theres no question about that, Mulcair stressed it must be fair trade. And he laid down a series of markers for what it will take to secure NDP support of a pact with the EU.

The NDP, he said, would give a categorical no to any deal that dismantles supply management of Canadas dairy industry, although some small concessions on specific types of cheese, for instance, might be acceptable.

It would not countenance a pact that diminishes Canadas sovereignty over environmental or natural resources regulation, inhibits provincial auto insurance regimes, erodes provincial or municipal buy-local procurement programs or dilutes Canadas banking standards all sticky issues that remain to be settled in the negotiations.

Mulcair signalled that he could live with extended patent protection for brand name drugs, as long as compensation was provided to provinces and consumers to offset the higher cost of medications.

All that said, he added: The important thing to remember is that, in a negotiation, you have to give a certain number of things and you expect to get a certain number of things. Its that balance that were going to be looking at in the final analysis.

Inevitably, trade deals require countries to give up a bit of sovereignty, which can sometimes be a good thing, he said, giving the example of harmonized professional qualifications under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The key measure, Mulcair said, must be Is the restriction one that actually protects the public interest and, if so, dont give up your right to regulate in the public interest.

For all his professed openness to a deal with the EU, the issues Mulcair identifies as deal-breakers are all still on the table in negotiations. Moreover, he has little confidence in Prime Minister Stephen Harpers ability to stand firm.

What were concerned with overall with the Conservatives is that their only approach seems to be openness for the sake of large companies, without taking into account the public interest, he said.

The gutting of environmental legislation concomitant with the signing of these deals is no accident. The Conservatives want to make sure that not too much (regulation) is in place so that anything that would be added (after a deal is signed) could be contested by the investors.

What were going to be driving is the public interest. Theyre going for powerful, insider interests.

Whether or not the NDP ultimately supports any accord that emerges with the EU, Mulcair is hopeful Canadians will see his more considered approach to trade deals as a sign New Democrats are ready to form government in 2015.

People have to know that were capable of good, competent, thoughtful public administration The thoughtfulness of our approach and its moderation and how we put those ideas forward, yeah, Ive got to think thats going to be something that has to connect with Canadians.