Hamilton City Hall
The Council of Canadians Hamilton chapter and allies won the support of Hamilton’s City Council last night on a resolution regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The resolution resolves that:
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the Mayor of the City Of Hamilton and Councillors express their opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in its present form and communicate this decision to Prime Minister Trudeau, Federal Cabinet Ministers, and area MPs; and -
the resolution be sent to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for consideration and support.
The Hamilton chapter worked in partnership with the Hamilton District Labour Council, the Hamilton Brantford Building Trades Council, and the Hamilton Chapter of the Congress of Union Retirees of Canada on this.
Their campaign began on January 18 when the chapter and allies won the unanimous support of the General Issues Committee for this resolution.
Chapter activist Kathie Clark tells us, “The four presentations, questions, discussion and vote on January 18 took almost two hours. It was exceptional to have the attention and involvement of the Mayor and Councillors for that length of time. They asked informed questions about the ISDS, procurement, drug costs and the impact of TPP on the City of Hamilton.”
Clark also highlights, “It was the work of Paul Manly and the Mid-Island Chapter that inspired us to submit the resolution to the City of Hamilton. We were also following in the footsteps of [former Council of Canadians trade campaigner] Stuart Trew and Councillor Brian McHattie who submitted a resolution on CETA that was passed by the General Issues Committee on Dec. 12. 2011.”
To read the presentation the Hamilton chapter made to the General Issues Committee, please click here and scroll to agenda item 6.3.
On January 23, US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum that formally signals the withdrawal of the United States from the TPP. And Foreign Affairs minister Chrystia Freeland now says, “This agreement was so constructed that it can only enter into force with the United States as a ratifying country. So the TPP as a deal cannot happen without the United States being a party to it.”
But the Toronto Star reports, “Speaking with reporters [on January 24], Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to say whether he supports efforts to continue the TPP negotiations without the United States.”
For that reason, municipal resolutions that express opposition to the prime minister are even more critical now.
For more on our campaign to stop the TPP, please click here.
