Ottawa – Last night, the New Zealand government released part of the text of the so-called Comprehensive and Progressive agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) compelling the Canadian government to follow suit. But side letters containing key parts of the agreement remain secret. The Council of Canadians is available for comment on this development.
“The Council of Canadians joins with allies in calling for the release of the side letters and an independent assessment of the CPTPP’s economic and social impacts,” says Brent Patterson, Political Director of the Council of Canadians.
In the deal, there are 20 provisions that are suspended from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), but could be reinstated if the U.S. re-enters the agreement. As well, the Canadian government’s publicly stated commitments to the environment, gender, cultural identity, Indigenous rights, and labour rights chapters are only mentioned in the preamble of the agreement, which is only decorative, not enforceable.
More information on the Council’s analysis is available here.
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For more information or to arrange interviews:
Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians, 613-795-8685, dpenner@canadians.org. Twitter: @CouncilOfCDNs
