Another "FREE" Trade Agreement

Another "FREE" Trade Agreement

Postby Oscar » Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:42 am

Another "FREE" Trade Agreement

October 12, 2010

To the Editor,

This letter is about a proposed Canada-European trade agreement. It is titled a "Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement" [CETA].

Government policies are vulnerable to corporate lobbyists. It has been stated that on average there are five lobbyists for each member of Parliament. Corporate concentration has been growing globally, and therefore is more powerful.

The North American Free Trade Agreement [NAFTA] was signed in 1988. Now, 22 years later, 80,000 family farms have disappeared. Rural communities serving those family farms have been decimated. Yes, exports have tripled, but farm debt has also tripled and now stands at 64 billion dollars. Since 2002, on average, net farm income has been negative. Many of the remaining farm families manage financially only because they supplement their income by off-farm jobs.

CETA is favoured and promoted by global corporate interests that seek to control seeds, which could result in the ultimate domination of the production of food on a world- wide basis. The reasons for producers and consumers to fear CETA are too numerous to list here. But here are just a few examples of what corporations can do. In 2007, in the US, Monsanto sued producers, the average fine was $385,418. Most producers cannot afford the legal fees required to fight the multi-billion dollar corporations. In Canada, the total cost of canola seed for producers in 2010 is estimated to be 500 million dollars.

I've recently learned why corporations have so much power. It was spelled out in Canada's Supreme Court in 2004 in the "Peoples vs Wise" case. The following was that decision: "The fiduciary duty under s. 122[1][A] of the CBCA [Canada Business Corporation Act] requires directors and officers to act in good faith and honestly vis-a vis the corporation...At all times, they owe their fiduciary obligations to the corporation, and the corporation's interests are not to be confused with the interests of the creditors or those of any other stakeholders" [My underline]

Is this why Percy Schmeiser lost his appeal to the Supreme Court in a five to four decision?

It certainly would appear that the present federal government is anxious to finalize CETA IN 2011. The Harper government obviously see this agreement as a method to eliminate the Canadian Wheat Board.[CWB]
Detailed information about CETA mat be obtained from the Council of Canadians and/or the National Farmers Union.

Leo Kurtenbach,
Box 268, Cudworth, Sask., S0K 1B0
Phone (306) 256 3638.
Oscar
Site Admin
 
Posts: 9079
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm

Return to Leo's Corner

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests

cron