The Star-Phoenix newspaper reports today that Saskatoon city council has reversed a motion endorsed by its executive committee two weeks ago to seek a municipal exemption from Canada-EU free trade rules that will affect local governments.
“Council voted 6-3 against the exemption with Mayor Don Atchison, councillors Tiffany Paulsen, Glen Penner, Bev Dubois, Randy Donauer, and Darren Hill, who reversed his vote from the executive committee,” says the article. “Councillors Charlie Clark, Mairin Loewen, and Pat Lorje voted in favour of the exemption, while Coun. Ann Iwanchuk, who made the motion, was absent.”
Dolores Douglas, vice-president of CUPE Saskatchewan, spoke in favour of the motion at last night’s meeting. She explained, “It is about increasing costs to cities and it is forcing the risk of privatization to Canada’s drinking water and sanitation by the world’s biggest water corporations… There is much to lose and little to gain.”
Councillor Clark, speaking in support of a municipal exemption, told council, “We need to sort out what are the limits as to how far we go in tying the hands into the future to do the things we need to do to develop our local economy… We’re not against trade, we’re not against business. It’s not that terrifying … and I don’t think it’s part of a socialist NDP conspiracy. It’s good to have a good debate.”
According to the Star-Phoenix a “strong contingent” from the local business community came out to warn Saskatoon councillors not to send the wrong message to “the international investment community,” and that Councillor Donauer said he will be bringing forward a motion at the next council meeting to “reaffirm” Saskatoon’s “commitment to being open for business.”
These voices don’t explain why Saskatoon would be any less open for business if it were excluded from procurement rules that do not touch any U.S. city and most global cities for that matter. CETA also won’t open any new procurement opportunities for Saskatoon business. How could it? Cities and towns spend what they have on what they need. And according to the EU’s own impact assessment of this deal, EU-based firms will be the main winners. Small- and medium-sized Canadian firms, in particular in the construction sector, are expected to lose out.
Despite the vote in Saskatoon, a strong city-wide debate was started about the CETA negotiations, which is one of the main reasons to bring CETA motions to municipal councillors across Canada. As the Star-Pheonix reports, “Councillors who requested the exemption cited the lack of a representation at the negotiating table to ensure municipal interests are being raised and the lack of space in trade agreements for cities, who historically haven’t been included in the pacts.”
The debate continues next Monday in Toronto where that city’s executive committee will consider whether to ask the provincial government for an exemption for Toronto procurement and policy. If you’re in the Toronto area, see our Action Alert in support of the motion, which was tabled by councillors Glenn de Baeremaeker and Kristyn Wong-Tam.
