The Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA), which was signed in secret by the Alberta and B.C. governments last April, will come into effect on April Fools Day, 2007. Join activists throughout the province who say NO to the agreement's implementation.
TILMA has been called "The New NAFTA," "Hurricane TILMA," "Another Bad Deal for Canada," and the "Death of Local Government." This deal extends privileges similar to those in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to corporations and individuals, allowing them to sue provincial governments and their official agencies for any regulations deemed harmful to investment (i.e. their ability to make a profit). The agreement assures investors that there will be no "barriers" to investment and will force governments, down to the municipal level, to harmonize regulations across the entire free-trade area, allowing investors to choose to work under the weaker regulation of the two provinces.
Under TILMA, even provincial or municipal policies designed to protect the environment and public health are vulnerable to attack from corporate lawsuits demanding compensation of up to $5 million.
The B.C. Ministry for Economic Development has consistently stated that TILMA will add $4.8 billion to B.C.'s economy and create upwards of 78,000 new jobs, all without leading to massive deregulation. However, both figures have been debunked by respected economists at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. And with the threat of $5-million lawsuits breathing down the backs of local governments, there is little doubt that municipal governments will be pressured to adopt lower standards and refrain from passing new regulations that are stricter than existing ones.
What can you do?
Provincial Day of Action - March 30, 2007
On March 30, join with other concerned citizens across the province to say NO to TILMA's implementation with a visit to your MLA's office. Let them know that they must stop the agreement from going into effect until the public has been consulted and a full debate in the legislature has taken place.
To find your MLA's contact information, click here.
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Call your MLA's local office and schedule a meeting to hear their views on TILMA and deliver this declaration (PDF). You can find out if they voted for or against the recent motion to debate TILMA in the B.C. Legislature (Motion 43) by clicking here (www.leg.bc.ca/38th3rd/votes/v070305.htm).
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If your MLA cannot meet with you, take the declaration to her or his office and deliver it to the door of the office. For media coverage, it would be best to have your event before noon, however some MLAs may not be back in their local office until the afternoon.
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In any case, call the media and let them know that you are taking action. We'll provide a sample press release once you let us know about your action!
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Encourage others to join you on March 30, and continue to write letters to the editors to your local papers. Letter writing tips and sample letters can be seen at: http://groups.google.com/group/stoptilma/.
Please contact the Council of Canadians office in Vancouver (contact details below) to hook up with other activists in your community, and for additional media support.
Be in touch, and take action to stop TILMA's implementation.
Best,
Carleen
Carleen Pickard
BC/Yukon Regional Organizer, Council of Canadians
#700 - 207 West Hastings St.
Vancouver BC, V6B 1H7
Tel: 604-688-8846 or 888-566-3888
For more information about TILMA visit:
