Councillor Jim Stone
Last night, the Town of New Tecumseth passed a resolution stating, “That a briefing be scheduled from the Province of Ontario on the scope and content of trade negotiations with the European Union; That the Federation of Canadian Municipalities provide sector-by-sector analysis of the potential impacts on municipal functions and powers of the procurement regime that the European Union is seeking; That the Federation of Canadian Municipalities urge the Government of Canada not to provide the European Union with access to sub national government procurement; That the provincial government negotiate a clear, permanent exemption for local governments from CETA; And that this resolution be circulated to FCM, AMO, the local MP and MPP, and that it be placed on the agenda at the AMO Conference for consideration and approval.”
As noted above, the resolution asks that these requests go to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (which has its annual convention on June 3-6 in Halifax), their local Member of Parliament (Independent, formerly Conservative, Helena Guergis), their Member of Provincial Parliament (Progressive Conservative Jim Wilson), and that it be “placed on the agenda…for consideration and approval” at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual conference (which takes place on August 21-24 in London).
The New Tecumseth resolution was brought forward by Councillor Jim Stone. It was assisted by a CUPE toolkit and proposed resolution, a personal letter from Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow to Councillor Stone, research by Council of Canadians Board member Steven Shrybman, and local community activists.
New Tecumseth itself is a town in south-central Ontario in the County of Simcoe. The main centres in New Tecumseth are the communities of Alliston, Tottenham, and Beeton. It has a population of 27,701.
In April 2010, resolutions on CETA were also passed by Trail, Burnaby and North Vancouver councils in British Columbia. In May, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia passed a municipal resolution expressing concern about CETA. In September, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities voted at their annual convention to support a resolution from the District of Logan Lake and City of Burnaby asking that the provincial government negotiate a clear, permanent exemption for local governments from CETA. Also in September, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities passed a resolution at its Board of Directors meeting calling on the federal government to respect municipal autonomy in its free trade negotiations with the European Union.
For more on the Council of Canadians campaign against CETA, please go to http://canadians.org/ceta. To see our related action alert, please go to http://canadians.org/action/2011/CETA-schools.html.
