Kathie Clark
The Council of Canadians Hamilton chapter has written Wallonia’s Minister-President Paul Magnette in support of his position on the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Magnette is threatening to block the ratification of CETA. If his government refuses to ratify CETA, the deal would collapse. That’s because, as The Globe and Mail points out, unanimity is required among all 38 national and regional parliaments in the European Union and any one of those parliaments can veto the agreement.
Chapter activist Kathie Clark writes, “The Hamilton Chapter of the Council of Canadians is one of 60 local Chapters across Canada. We have been campaigning in opposition to CETA since November 2011. Initially we had a CETA Education/Action Group that organized and implemented our campaign. Since then we have expanded our terms of reference and now have a Trade Justice Group that works on all Canadian trade agreements – CETA, TPP, NAFTA and next the Canada-China Trade Agreement.”
She adds, “There are many issues in all these trade agreements that are problematic because they support corporate interests over citizens’ needs. In particular we have been lobbying against the investor State dispute settlement process (ISDS).”
And Clark highlights, “I am writing to thank you for your efforts to challenge and defeat CETA and the ISDS. This trade deal is NOT in the best interest of Wallonia nor is it in the best interest of Canada. We seem to be losing the battle in Canada but the war is not over! Please continue your fight against CETA and the ISDS in Wallonia.”
The Globe and Mail has also reported, “In his book, titled CETA: When Europe Derails, Magnette offers a candid assessment of how Canadian and EU officials [including then-trade minister Chrystia Freeland and CETA envoy Pierre Pettigrew] tried to pressure Wallonia, using emotional pitches and blunt threats. …[Pettigrew told Magnette] that Wallonia’s refusal to back CETA would be a punch in the stomach for Mr. Trudeau and that there would ‘inevitably be heavy repercussions for relations between Wallonia and Canada’.”
Undoubtedly, the Trudeau government will use “emotional pitches and blunt threats” against Magnette again to get CETA passed.
To send a message to Magnette and the people of Wallonia that says the Trudeau government does not speak for you, you can write:
Paul Magnette, Ministre-Président
Gouvernement wallon
Rue Mazy, 25-27
5100 Namur
BELGIUM
Email: Paul.Magnette@gov.wallonie.be
Fax: 011-32-81-331-366 (leave out the dashes when dialing)
The Hamilton chapter now joins the Guelph and Quill Plains (Wynyard) chapters who have also written Mr. Magnette.
#StopCETA
