VANCOUVER – As international trade minister Chrystia Freeland visits Vancouver to participate in a university panel about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Council of Canadians continues to push for full, public consultations on the controversial deal.
“Consulting with academics and industry representatives is a first step, but it’s not enough,” said Harjap Grewal, B.C. regional organizer with the Council of Canadians. “What about First Nations, environmental groups and labour organizations? What about ordinary people? The TPP is a far-reaching deal, and the minister’s consultations need to be equally far-reaching.”
The Council is also requesting an independent analysis of the TPP by the Parliamentary Budget Officer to assess the deal’s impact on employment, health care, human rights, democracy and the environment.
“An independent analysis of the agreement would provide people with unbiased information about the potential consequences of the TPP,” said Grewal. “It would allow them to participate in a meaningful public consultation process to decide whether this deal is in the public interest or just in corporations’ interests.”
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IMAGE: Alex Gulbord, Flickr
