ACTION ALERT: Put the SPP to a vote

October 12, 2007

Maude Barlow, David Suzuki, Ken Georgetti, Maher Arar and Monia Mazigh have just sent Prime Minister Stephen Harper a letter demanding that his upcoming Throne Speech include a commitment to submit the controversial Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) to a vote in the next parliamentary session.

They are calling on Stephen Harper to make good on his earlier promise "to submit significant international treaties for votes in Parliament" by bringing forward the SPP for parliamentary debate and a vote in the House of Commons.

So far, only 30 CEOs from North America’s richest corporations, including Lockheed Martin, Bank of Nova Scotia, Chevron, Power Corporation and Merck, have had any meaningful input. Only they have been invited to annual closed-door meetings of SPP leaders and ministers, such as the one that took place in Montebello, Quebec in August.

We argue that the SPP, launched in 2005 by the governments of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, has already led to lower standards and regulations in a number of different policy areas. The partnership’s stated goal of making North America safer has been called into question by the Canadian public due to some of the its more controversial initiatives such as Canada’s 'Passenger Protect' no-fly list, and the harmonization of pesticide residue limits and toxic chemical regulations.

TAKE ACTION

Join Maude Barlow, David Suzuki, Ken Georgetti, Maher Arar and Monia Mazigh by sending your letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper before his government's Throne Speech this Tuesday October 16 at 6:35 pm EST and demand that he pledges in this speech that the SPP will be subject to parliamentary debate and a vote in the House of Commons. (SEND YOUR LETTER BELOW)

Sample letter

Prime Minister Harper,

On March 23, 2005, Canada entered into a new 'Security and Prosperity Partnership' (SPP) with the United States and Mexico. The controversial executive-level agreement contained over 300 initiatives aimed at harmonizing the way the three NAFTA countries regulate their economies, protect their environments, secure their territories and keep their citizens safe and healthy.

While the stated goal of this new 'partnership' is to make North American citizens safer and more prosperous, to date there has been no public consultation on the necessity or desirability of greater continental economic and security integration. This is despite major concerns with some of the SPP’s more controversial initiatives, such as Canada’s 'Passenger Protect' no-fly list, and the harmonization of pesticide residue limits and toxic chemical regulations with the United States.

Only 30 CEOs from North America’s richest corporations, including Lockheed Martin, Bank of Nova Scotia, Chevron, Power Corporation and Merck, have had any meaningful input into the SPP. And only they have been invited to annual closed-door meetings of SPP leaders and ministers, like the one you hosted in Montebello, Quebec this past August.

Your government ran on a campaign of accountability. Part of that campaign included a promise that, "significant international treaties will be submitted for votes in Parliament."

I join with Maude Barlow, David Suzuki, Ken Georgetti, Maher Arar and Monia Mazigh to call on you to make good on this promise by engaging Canadians in a meaningful and accessible debate on the 'Security and Prosperity Partnership', and by bringing the agreement to Parliament for a vote. I anticipate that this debate will be a top priority for your government in the coming parliamentary session.

I look forward to your response.

<your name>

Brent Patterson, Director of Organizing and Campaigns, The Council of Canadians

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