Photo by Michael Butler.
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow spoke in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) at a Canadian Labour Congress town hall in Toronto this evening.
CLC President Hassan Yussuff, NDP MP Tracey Ramsey, and CUPE president Mark Hancock also spoke at tonight’s public forum.
The Canadian Labour Congress’ promotion for the tour highlights, “The TPP threatens tens-of-thousands of Canadian jobs, will lead to higher prescription drug costs, and threatens our health care system. Learn what the TPP will mean for Canada, your community, and how to stop it.”
This evening Barlow tweeted:
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Great crowd at Toronto town hall on the TPP! And it’s election night! And raining! Canadians don’t like TPP! -
MP Tracey Ramsay says the trade committee has received 65,000 submissions and petitions on TPP – most against! -
Hassan Yussuff explains how dangerous TPP will be for workers and how Harper signed on without even seeing the deal -
CUPE President Mark Hancock says if CETA and TPP had existed 50 years ago, no public services
And various other tweets tell us:
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Amazing turnout at #StopTPP town hall here in TO with @MarkHancockCUPE, @hassan_yussuff, @MaudeBarlow, @traceyram & many concerned Canadians -
@MaudeBarlow thanks @hassan_yussuff & Canadian unions for working with European allies against ISDS provisions in #CETA. #canlab -
@MaudeBarlow says “TPP poses a huge barrier to protecting our environment” #StopTPP #canlab -
@MaudeBarlow “In the entire 6000 pages of the #TPP the words #climatechange don’t appear once.” #stoptpp #toronto town hall. #canlab -
“Climate change doesn’t appear once in the #tpp” says @MaudeBarlow to cries of shame from audience @CouncilofCDNs -
@MaudeBarlow says youth can be creative in declaring what they DO stand for as opposed to what they’re against #canlab #StopTPP -
@MaudeBarlow “like NAFTA TPP has the ‘Right to Profit’ deeply embedded in it” – a provision which allows corporations to sue Canada #canlab -
@MaudeBarlow talking #TPP in TO “right to profit is built deeply into TPP” Most sued country in the world #StopTPP -
@MaudeBarlow “TPP is the corporate capture of our society” #stoptpp #cdnpoli @CouncilofCDNs -
“Very simply the TPP is the worst of new Trade Agreements being signed.” Says @MaudeBarlow @CanadianLabour TPP Town Hall with @UFCWCanada -
Barlow explains how we can win #ceta #tpp – hope is not lost. @MaudeBarlow -
Great talk by @MaudeBarlow talking about the world we need based on sustainability and justice #notpp -
Question from @CouncilofCDNs supporter on trade deals like #tpp and what it means for water rights
Following this evening in Toronto, Barlow and Yussuff will also be speaking in:
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Halifax – November 10 -
Vancouver – November 22 -
Winnipeg – November 23
On November 2, Barlow and Yussuff spoke at this town hall in Windsor.
While many have clearly voiced their opposition to the TPP at hearings, consultations and protests, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has commented, “In our conversations with Canadians, with industries which are ongoing, there are a lot of people in favour of it and there are a few who have real concerns and we’re looking at understanding and allaying certain fears and building on some of the opportunities.” Last month, Trudeau stated, “It’s difficult to imagine a world where Canada would turn its back on [the TPP and] three of its top five trading partners. We established very clearly during the campaign that we’re a pro-trade party.”
The signatory countries are expected to try to ratify the TPP by February 2018.
For more on our campaign to stop the TPP, please click here.
