NAFTA: We must not trade away Canadian culture

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We must not trade away Canadian culture in NAFTA: Council of Canadians

[ https://canadians.org/media/we-must-not ... -canadians ]

Media Release July 19, 2017

Stand up to Trump on Trade

President Donald Trump recently released U.S. goals for the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), saying the U.S. would target rules protecting Canadian culture from foreign investment. The Council of Canadians is calling on the Canadian government to stop this from happening.

“We have to protect and cherish culture at the NAFTA bargaining table,” said Maude Barlow, Honorary Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “Our foreign investment rules have ensured that cultural production is financed by Canadians with Canadians in mind. These principles mean that next to the U.S. mega entertainment industry, our production is distinctly Canadian in all its national, Indigenous and multicultural diversity.”

The Council of Canadians supports the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) and other cultural groups’ recommendations that Canada maintain its exemption for culture in NAFTA and that the notwithstanding clause ­– which allows the U.S. to retaliate for alleged violations of trading rules when it protects the cultural industry – be taken out of NAFTA. NAFTA must also be modernized to include protections for cultural industries such as Netflix, the Internet and video games, which didn’t exist when NAFTA was signed 23 years ago. -30-

For more information contact:

Jan Malek, The Council of Canadians
(613)-233-2773, ext 231
jmalek@canadians.org

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NAFTA’s trajectory

[ https://canadians.org/media/nafta-trajectory ]

Letter to the Editor - July 20, 2017

Re: Canada, U.S. Eager To Lock Mexico Into NAFTA Energy Plan (Report on Business, July 19):
[ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report- ... e35725740/ ] (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)

It is enormously disappointing to see that the Trudeau government is joining Donald Trump in pushing for Mexico to sign an energy proportionality clause in a renegotiated free-trade deal, similar to the one Canada signed and Mexico resisted in the first round.

Essentially, Canadian – and soon perhaps, Mexican – oil and gas reserves become North American reserves, subject only to market forces. Governments basically lose control of energy supplies and the ability to use policy tools to reduce the production of fossil fuels and begin the transition to low-carbon energy sources.

NAFTA’s proportionality clause is a major reason Canada has expanded tar sands production and is promoting the massive expansion of pipelines. Such a NAFTA energy package will make it impossible for North America to meet its climate commitments.

Maude Barlow, The Council of Canadians, Ottawa, published in The Globe and Mail, July 20, 2017
[ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion ... e35743436/ ]

(GRAPHIC: NAFTA pipeline)

Media contact

For media calls:
Dylan Penner, Media Officer
Cell: (613) 795-8685
Office: (613) 233-4487, ext. 249
E-mail: dpenner@canadians.org