VANCOUVER - Canada’s business elite is pushing Canada closer and closer to assimilation into the U.S. By trying to “get in good” with their U.S. buddies, Canadian corporations - with the federal government in tow - are trading away Canada’s independence.

Four renowned speakers will come together Monday night in Vancouver to discuss the dangers of Canada’s increasingly close ties to the United States.

Canadian corporate interests are lobbying the government to adopt U.S. policies such as collaborating with on the controversial missile defence system, handing over more intelligence on Canadian citizens to U.S. authorities, and dropping our higher standards and regulatory protection to U.S. levels.

“The recent sponsorship scandal has revealed the corrupt and secretive relationship between the federal government and Canada’s business elite,” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “In light of the push from corporate Canada to adopt a number of troubling U.S. polices and practices, this relationship may be fatal to Canada’s independence.”

"Paul Martin effectively ran the Liberal government for nine years as finance minister and his main accomplishment was to completely reinvent the federal government,” says Murray Dobbin, Author of Paul Martin: CEO for Canada? “He made radical policy changes that effectively removed our national government from any role in nation-building. In effect, he Amercanized Canada in a multitude of ways and will now take the next logical step: deep integration with the United States."

“Some very real legislative measures, introduced and debated in our public institutions, can galvanize broad public attention and support to stop the forces of deep integration.” says Alfred Webre of the Institute for Cooperation in Space. “This means creating city council and federal resolutions to protect Canadian water and exempt it from NAFTA; to exempt health, safety and environmental standards from NAFTA, FTAA and the WTO; to re-commit Canada to multi-lateral disarmament in space and on Earth.”

“With an election on the horizon and the Martin government intent on establishing cozier relations with the Bush administration, it is crucial that Canadians be made aware of what is brewing behind closed doors,” says Barlow. “We urge Canadians to make this a central issue in the upcoming federal election.”

“Colony or Country? The Future of Canada-U.S. Relations” takes place at Maritime Labour Centre, 1880 Triumph Street. The event starts at 7PM, and admission is free.

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