Letter to provincial and territorial premiers on the eve of the 2010 Council of the Federation meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba
"... We understand that the provinces and territories have by now submitted initial CETA offers to the federal government, and that this agreement will be on the agenda at the upcoming Council of the Federation meeting in Winnipeg. We are writing to urge you to consult widely and publicly in your respective provinces and territories on these offers. The people you represent need to hear what your government hopes to achieve through the CETA negotiations and what the trade‐offs are. It is fundamental to democracy that interested members of the public be given the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, and shape your government’s position with respect to CETA and any other trade agreement for that matter."
Responses:
NEW! 10 Reasons Why CETA is Bad for Canada
"Hey Canada, heard of the CETA yet? No? It's not surprising! Once again, our federal and provincial government and business leaders are negotiating a "free trade" deal behind the backs of Canadians. This time, it's called the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA for short. It will change the face of Canada as we know it, and Harper wants to sign it in a hurry - before anyone has a chance to debate it!"
Read more about CETA in our new comic by clicking 'Download' below
NEWS
• Selling out for free trade (Archana Rampure and Stuart Trew, The Mark News, July 14, 2010)
• Trade Justice Network to Brussels for Canada-EU Free Trade Negotiations (July 9, 2010)
ABOUT US
On May 6, 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper launched negotiations with Europe toward a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement that will go beyond NAFTA in ways that threaten public services and local democracy in Canada. On April 19, 2010, the Trade Justice Network leaked the draft consolidated text of the agreement to start a public debate on the effect the agreement would have on a number of public policy areas in Canada.
While Canadian companies are mostly interested in reducing European regulatory barriers to entry for products like meat and genetically modified crops, European companies see Canada's public services, including water treatment, transportation, energy and even health care, as ripe for privatization. Most of these services are delivered provincially or locally, which is why for the first time the provinces (though not their cities) are part of the negotiations.
The Trade Justice Network is a grouping of environmental, labour, social justice and other civil society organizations that came together to challenge CETA and push for a more sustainable and equitable Canadian trade policy. A new corporate rights deal with the EU would be a barrier to trade justice in Canada, the EU and around the world.