This year the Council of
Canadians’ trade campaign
focused on fighting trade agreements
that grant enormous
privileges to corporations, at the
expense of the environment and
the public interest.
The B.C.-Alberta Trade, Investment and
Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) was signed in April 2006, without public
consultation or legislative debate. TILMA
is an unprecedented interprovincial free
trade deal that allows Canadian corporations
to sue provincial and municipal
governments for any regulation deemed
harmful to their profits. This leaves policies
designed to protect the environment
and public health vulnerable to attack
from corporate lawsuits.
In 2007 the Council of Canadians confronted
TILMA and other similar agreements
head-on, and scored some major
victories. In September, the Council
helped to push the Union of British
Columbia Municipalities take a strong
stand against TILMA at their annual
meeting. Representatives passed a motion
calling on the B.C. government to significantly
alter the deal to address the concerns
of municipalities – or exempt them
from TILMA completely. They committed
to lobbying Premier Campbell to
scrap the deal, if the B.C. government
refuses to make their requested changes.
Council activists are now working hard
to prevent the signing of similar agreements
in Ontario and Quebec.
In June, the Council was pleased with
a NAFTA tribunal decision that told
courier giant UPS to keep its hands off
of Canada’s mail. UPS sued Canada
more than six years ago under Chapter
11, which allows corporations to challenge
governments if they think their
investments are restricted by government
measures. UPS claimed that its investments
were being threatened by Canada’s
publicly funded network of mailboxes
and post offices because this network
allegedly provided Canada Post with an
unfair advantage. The company’s complaint
was rejected by the tribunal.
In 2008, we will continue to fight the
implementation of unjust interprovincial
trade agreements, and will use the lessons
we’ve learned under NAFTA to build our
case against TILMA, the SPP, and other
unfair trade deals that put profits above
the public interest.
There are so many opportunities to get involved in the fight for a better Canada. Consider joining your local chapter today. |
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Annual report 2007 (including summary statement of revenue and expenditure)
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