St. John’s, NL – Today David Lametti, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, is holding stakeholder meetings on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) at Memorial University. The St. John’s chapter of the Council of Canadians will be present at the consultations and available for comment on the controversial corporate rights pact.
“We have a lot of concerns about this deal, which continues the corporate assault against democracy. This should raise alarm bells for Canadians,” says Marilyn Reid from the St. John’s chapter of the Council of Canadians, who will be attending the consultations. “If the TPP is perceived as a threat to democracy in the United States – the most powerful country in the world – where it has become an election issue, what might the consequences be for Canada? How many of our democratic rights have we negotiated away to be part of this deal?”
“As a young person, I think it is important to be involved in the process,” says Erica Steeves, St. John’s chapter representative for the Council of Canadians, who will also be attending the consultations. “Everyone should be involved in these complex deals. Consultations should extend beyond business people and industry reps. I am most concerned about how the investor-state dispute settlement provisions will affect our democracy and our government’s right to regulate on behalf of citizens and the environment, not just corporate profits.”
The Council of Canadians is requesting an independent analysis of the TPP by the Parliamentary Budget Office considering the impact on environmental, human and labour rights. The organization is calling on the government to hold full and proper public consultations with First Nations, provinces and municipalities.
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