LETTER

TPP deal needs real consultation

 

Thank you for writing regarding the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). I am strongly opposed to the TPP, and I echo calls to reject the agreement.

The TPP is a fundamentally undemocratic agreement that threatens Canada’s sovereignty. The Harper Conservatives negotiated the TPP in secret, and Canadians were kept in the dark. The agreement hurts the Canadian auto and agricultural sectors, and was drafted without input from labour, environmental, health, and consumer groups. The TPP would allow milk that includes hormones (rBST) into Canada, even though rBST use in Canada is prohibited.

The greatest problem with the TPP, however, is the investor-state provisions that expose Canada to lawsuits by foreign corporations. When we make new laws protecting the environment, or improving labour protections, for example, companies can sue Canada if they feel these decisions will hurt their bottom line. Investor-state provisions put multinational corporations ahead of Canadian interests. Simply put, the investor-state provisions in the TPP threaten Canada’s sovereignty.

This deal has serious implications for Canadian democracy, and our ability to protect our national industries and workers. The TPP must be subject to thorough analysis and public consultation. I support calls for the TPP to be analyzed by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, for public hearings across the country, and for the obligation to obtain the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous communities. It is imperative that any agreement reached at COP21 be fully protected from potential TPP challenges.

We cannot let the TPP move forward unless Canadians have signed on. Prime Minister Trudeau has promised “a full and open public debate in Parliament” on the TPP. Canadians deserve nothing less, and I will hold the government to their promise. I will continue to fight to ensure that Canadian trade deals protect Canadian interests.

Elizabeth May, MP
Ottawa