ACTION ALERT: Tell Premier Brad Wall the New West Partnership is a bad deal

April 28, 2010

As reported in the Regina Leader-Post on April 28, the governments of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia are set to sign off on the New West Partnership at 12:30 on Friday, April 30. This interprovincial trade agreement is nothing but TILMA (the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement) with a new name and all the same negative consequences for Saskatchewan.

Following broad public consultations on TILMA in 2007, the Saskatchewan government decided not to enter into the agreement with Alberta and BC. At that time – and on numerous occasions since – Premier Brad Wall and other members of the Saskatchewan Party promised not to sign TILMA, and pledged to consult with stakeholders and the public before signing any such an agreement. Despite those promises, it appears that the Premier is about to sign an agreement that nobody has seen and about which there has been no public consultation.

On April 22 the Council of Canadians and the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, along with over 30 groups and individuals who participated in the 2007 TILMA review, sent an open letter to Premier Brad Wall calling on him to keep his promise to not sign TILMA and to undergo a legislative review and hold full and transparent public hearings on the issue before signing any interprovincial trade agreement. Our media release stated, “Saskatchewan was right to reject TILMA then, and it should reject a rebranded TILMA now … Nothing has suddenly changed to make lowest-common-denominator regulations and standards good for Saskatchewan. Nothing has suddenly changed to make giving corporations the right to sue elected governments for millions of dollars for ‘impeding trade’ – decided on by unaccountable dispute panels – suddenly a good idea for Saskatchewan.”

TAKE ACTION – Tell Premier Brad Wall the New West Partnership is a bad deal

Take action by sending Premier Brad Wall and Deputy Premier Ken Krawetz a message now!

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SEND A LETTER NOW:

Subject
Recipients	Premier Brad Wall (bwall@mla.legassembly.sk.ca), Deputy Premier Ken Krawetz (kkrawetz@mla.legassembly.sk.ca);
Compose your letter in the box below.
Dear Premier Wall and Deputy Premier Krawetz, It is my understanding that the government of Saskatchewan intends to sign on April 30 the TILMA-like New West Partnership with Alberta and British Columbia. I am shocked that your government intends to sign an agreement that nobody in Saskatchewan has seen, and about which there has been no public consultation, despite the promises you have both made in the past not to sign TILMA and to engage with stakeholders and the public prior to signing such an agreement. Changing the name from TILMA to the New West Partnership does not in any way negate the promises you have made to the people of Saskatchewan. I demand that you release the full text of the agreement and hold a legislative review and full public consultations before you consider signing on to the New West Partnership. I expect you both to keep your word. Sincerely,
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