MPs will be voting in a few hours on an NDP motion calling on the Canadian Government to not ratify the Canada-China Foreign Investment and Protection Agreement (FIPA). This agreement was essentially negotiated behind closed doors (surprise, surprise) and opposition critics say it "contains significant gaps and provides few benefits for Canada (CBC News)."
Unfortunately, this motion will most likely be defeated because of the Conservative majority which essentially means that corporations in either Canada or China will be granted rights to challenge government policies that interfere with corporate profits. That means if policies protecting our health and environment get in the way of profit, they can be challenged! Also, once ratified, this agreement will be in place for a minimum of 30 years which means we're stuck with it for a while. To give you a glimpse of what this could mean, there is currently a US company suing Canada for a moratorium Quebec has placed on fracking. It is beyond ridiculous that a corporation can sue a government for protecting it's citizens because it impedes their profit. To make matters worse, it looks as though the Liberals are going to vote with the conservatives on this motion.
In conclusion, agreements such as this, with any country, undermine Canadian democracy and it is not acceptable. We, as Canadians should be more informed and start speaking up against deals such as this! Let your MP know that you are opposed to agreements like this and that you want a more transparent government!
To read more about this issue, check out the following:
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