The suspension of TransCanada’s NAFTA lawsuit highlights how trade deals are used by corporations to roll back democratic decisions, says the Council of Canadians.
“TransCanada has shown that when corporations don’t get what they want, they can always use NAFTA or other trade agreements as a corporate tool. And since TransCanada has suspended the lawsuit — not ended it — the company will always have that sword hanging over the U.S. government if it doesn’t get its way,” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “And this fight isn’t over. As Prime Minister Trudeau pointed out before approving several pipelines of his own, governments can grant permits, but only communities can grant permission.”
-30-
