Council of Canadians chapters will be mobilizing this month against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
After the TPP was signed by its 12-member countries on February 4, 2016, Reuters reported, “The TPP will now undergo a two-year ratification period in which at least six countries – that account for 85 percent of the combined gross domestic production of the 12 TPP nations – must approve the final text for the deal to be implemented.”
As such, there is an unofficial deadline of February 2018 to ratify the deal.
Last month, Prime Minister Justin 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.”
And while some hope has been placed in statements of opposition to the TPP by both US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, there is also speculation that Clinton, the likely winner on November 8, could still move forward with the TPP after she is sworn into office on January 20, 2017.
Council of Canadians organizer Harjap Grewal says, “This month we are going to have a month of action against the TPP which we hope will spark more action throughout the winter to this massive corporate rights agreement. There is going to be a new #noTPP website and social media networks launched in coordination with all of the different organizations opposing the TPP in order to demonstrate our collective opposition.”
Grewal adds, “This is being done as a part of a global effort. Last year Latin American activists in Havana made a call for action for this November 4th for the 10th Anniversary of defeating the Free Trade Area of the Americas. The central theme of their mobilization is the fight against neo-liberalism and the TPP.”
So far, chapters will mobilize in:
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Toronto for a teach-in and protest (November 4) -
St. Catharines for this day of action (November 5) -
Windsor, Toronto (November 8), Halifax (November 10), Vancouver (November 22), and Winnipeg (November 23) for Canadian Labour Congress town hall meetings featuring Maude Barlow -
Toronto and Winnipeg for a rally and petition delivery (November 23) -
Vancouver for a demonstration (November 30) -
Toronto for a trinational conference (November 30-December 3)
Grewal adds, “We are also asking for others to consider hosting an event, rally, march, action, banner drop, or other forms of public mobilization and engagement on the issue. Remember, no action is too small!”
For more on our campaign to stop the TPP, please click here.
