GOOD NEWS!!! Quebec gets CETA consultation

[Oscar]

Quebec gets CETA consultation

QUOTE: "Secret documents made public over the past three years of EU trade talks show that the provincial-territorial governments have done a bad job protecting public services and important public policy from CETA rules designed to commercialize more and more aspects of our lives."[/b]

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[b]Quebec gets CETA consultation

http://sgnews.ca/2012/10/quebec-gets-ceta-consultation/

Oct 092012

Take action!

http://sgnews.ca/category/take-acton/

The Rest of Canada wants consultations too.

A final round of Canada-European Union free trade talks is just around the bend. From October 15 to 26, Canadian negotiators will be in Brussels to wrap up the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), or so they hope. That means a deal could be signed before the end of the year without any of us having a chance to see what’s in it!

On October 5, the newly elected Parti Québécois government in Québec, under pressure from students, labour unions, trade justice activists and others, held a consultation on the CETA negotiations with over 50 civil society organizations, journalists, researchers and opposition members of the provincial legislature.

Jean-François Lisée, the PQ trade minister, wrote in his blog that the input from this meeting will “allow us to make clear recommendations to caucus, the Council of Ministers and the Premier regarding the mandate to give our negotiating team.” Even this late in the day, the Quebec government is apparently opening a small crack in the CETA negotiations for public input.

Take action

http://sgnews.ca/category/take-acton/

We should demand full transparency in every province and territory, and an opportunity to change the deal before it is signed! Use the form below to send a letter to your provincial government and opposition trade critics today! Make sure to send a copy of your letter to your local provincial representative, as well as municipal councillors, many of whom are also speaking up against CETA rules that affect local governments.

And while you’re at it, why not send a letter-to-the-editor in your local newspaper ?

http://canadians.org/media/letter.html


Why write to the provinces?

We need to make this demand to our provincial and territorial leaders since they have been at the CETA bargaining table from the beginning. Secret documents made public over the past three years of EU trade talks show that the provincial-territorial governments have done a bad job protecting public services and important public policy from CETA rules designed to commercialize more and more aspects of our lives.

Drug policy changes the EU wants would increase already high drug costs in Canada by making it harder to introduce cheaper generic versions. How much would drug costs increase? The most credible study says almost $3 billion would be added annually to the cost of public and private drug plans. Already too many Canadians can’t afford to fill their prescriptions, and the provinces are looking for ways to contain health costs through bulk purchasing of generics. CETA would get directly in the way of that goal.

Drinking water and sanitation services, transit, energy, education, health care — all are to be treated as commodities under the CETA, and not as essential social services. Procurement rules will hamper economic development and job-creation options for municipal governments. These are some of the last equalizers local governments have in our increasingly unequal society. The goal of CETA is to push them out of public control in order to “liberate” them for profiteers.

It’s hard to argue with transparency

Whatever your position on these issues or the Canada-EU trade deal generally, it's hard to argue that provincial or territorial trade negotiators and a tiny group of ministers should have the exclusive authority to make a final decision in these and other areas. The Quebec government has opened the door a crack to the public. It’s time all provinces and territories followed this good example before it’s too late.

More information on CETA, the provinces and municipalities:
www.canadians.org/CETA


Send your Premier an email from the Council fo Canadians website:

http://canadians.org/action/2011/democracy-CETA.html


About Council of Canadians

Founded in 1985, the Council of Canadians is Canada’s largest citizens’ organization, with members and chapters across the country. We work to protect Canadian independence by promoting progressive policies on fair trade, clean water, energy security, public health care, and other issues of social and economic concern to Canadians.

View all posts by Council of Canadians

http://sgnews.ca/author/councilofcanadians/



© Copyright 2012, All rights Reserved. StraightGoods.ca

[Oscar]

The Parti Quebecois and CETA!

Sent for publishing on Thursday, October 11, 2012 2:06 PM

To the Editor,

Stephen Harper and his Conservative government want to sign the Canada-European Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement,[CETA] before the end of 2012.

Canada and the European Union have been negotiating CETA since 2009. But most Canadians have seen or heard very little of all the issues that are really involved in CETA. It does certainly appear that it could further facilitate deregulation and privatization of Canada's economy, while increasing corporate power and control.

The following items are some of the proposed changes that could affect Canada by signing CETA:

* Unfairly restricts how local governments spend money and ban"buy local"policies.
* Add $3 billion to the price of drugs, [By eliminating generic prescription drugs.]
* Increase Canada's trade deficit with Europe, leading to significant job losses.
* Empowers European corporations to attack environmental and health measures.
* Undermine protection for health care and culture in past trade deals.
* Create pressure to increase privatization of local water systems, transit systems and energy.
* Strip farmers of the right to save their own seed.

It is interesting to note that the recently-elected Parti Quebecois has managed to obtain the right to sit in on CETA negotiations. Shouldn't all Canadian provinces be represented in this crucial comprehensive trade agreement? It is truly not democratic to have our present federal government sign a deal of such magnitude when it received the support of only 40 per cent of all Canadian voters in the last election.

It certainly is incumbent upon our federal government to ensure that
Canadians, and in particular, all members of Parliament, have copies of the proposals in CETA, so that this trade deal is thoroughly debated in the House of Commons before it is signed.

Leo Kurtenbach
Saskatoon, SK
Phone: (306) 652-5129