Thread: CAN: Trilateral Dealings Dissed, Talks opposed

http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/20 ... 3-sun.html


Sun, February 17, 2008

Trilateral dealings dissedClosed-door talks between Canada, U.S., Mexico opposed
By ROB NAY, SUN MEDIA

Protesters marched through downtown Winnipeg yesterday to draw attention to a trilateral agreement they feel could be harmful to Canadians.

"We think there should be greater openness," said Michael Welch, one of the local organizers of the rally against the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).

He said a national referendum should be held to determine whether Canada should be involved with the partnership.

Similar protests against the SPP were set to take place in Edmonton and Toronto yesterday.

Started in 2005, the SPP is a trilateral agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. According to the Canadian government's website, the SPP "promotes ways for the three countries to work together in areas as diverse as national security, transportation, the environment and public health."

CONTROL OF RESOURCES

Rally participants said they're frustrated with the closed-door nature of SPP meetings, the lack of information available to the public and the possibility of losing control over Canada's resources, such as water.

"I don't want to see my country sold down the drain," said Dorothy Wigmore.

More than 100 people converged at City Hall early yesterday afternoon before marching to the Manitoba Legislature.

"We have to wake up, Canada," Welch told the crowd before the march.

Protesters shook plastic bottles filled with jelly beans in response to a comment Prime Minister Stephen Harper made last summer about rules governing the ingredients of jelly beans being different in Canada and the U.S.

'JELLY BEAN'

"Is the sovereignty of Canada going to fall apart if we standardize the jelly bean?" he said during a North American summit in Montebello, Que. "You know, I don't think so."

Signs carried by protesters at the Winnipeg rally read "Harper, whose flag are you saluting?" and "Canada is not the 51st state."

At the Legislature, a handful of speakers addressed the crowd.

"We have to put a crack in the wall of secrecy," said MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North). "We have to speak up when we're dealing with such a secretive agenda."

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolo ... 684888&p=2

Foes raise ruckus over U.S.-Canada-Mexico deal
Jack Knox, Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, February 16, 2008

The demonstrators will be shaking their jelly beans on Douglas Street today -- appropriate, since the candies are being held up by both sides as the symbol of either A) an insidious attempt to rob Canada of its independence, or B) the paranoia of conspiracy-theory crackpots.

At issue is the Security and Prosperity Partnership, a sweeping endeavour that Ottawa maintains is merely about fighting terrorism and harmonizing the trade regulations of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, but which opponents characterize as the corporate-driven "deep integration" of North America.

Launched in 2005 following complaints that post-9/11 security was constipating cross-border commerce, the SPP involves 19 groups of bureaucrats from all three countries working on 300 initiatives. It covers everything from no-fly lists to co-operation in fighting the West Nile virus.

The jelly beans are a reference to remarks made by Stephen Harper at last August's Montebello, Que., summit with George Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Look, the prime minister said, we're just trying to strengthen the economy by removing red tape. As an example, he pointed to differing regulations that force confectioners to separate the jelly beans they sell in Canada from those sold in the U.S. "Is the sovereignty of Canada going to fall apart if we standardize the jelly bean?" he asked.

This made the critics cranky. Don't patronize us, they replied. This is about more than jelly beans and regulating the ingredients of breakfast cereal. It's also about lowering pesticide standards to meet those of the U.S., merging immigration policies, surrendering military autonomy and selling Canadian bulk water down the river, as it were.

The voices of dissent will be heard in 18 cities across Canada today, including Victoria, where protesters will shake jelly bean maracas on Douglas Street before trooping off to the St. Andrew's Presbyterian kirk hall on Courtney Street at 1:45 p.m. Speakers will be drawn from those groups that often find themselves on the outside looking in (or, to be more precise, find themselves unable to see what's going on behind the closed doors of power): The Canadian Action party, the NDP, the Green party, the Council of Canadians, students. (George Bush apparently had to wash his hair, while Conrad Black was otherwise detained.)

Why, the critics demand to know, are the initiatives of the SPP being developed out of the public eye, under the radar? Because it's nuts-and-bolts bureaucracy, about as controversial and sexy as Tommy Hunter, and we never do that stuff in public, comes the government's reply.

Some of those who detect dark intentions in the SPP accuse the mainstream media of partaking in an orchestrated conspiracy of silence. The media usually respond to such charges by rolling their collective eyes: We know we're lucky if we get the page numbers right three days in a row, let alone achieve anything close to the level of competence and organization required to throw a decent conspiracy.

Still, there has, in fact, been remarkably little coverage of the substance of the Security and Prosperity Partnership, given its scope -- the same sprawling scope that makes it a difficult story to cover. That's too bad, because whether the process is driven by a corporate oligarchy or a well-intentioned bureaucracy, it's always worth discussing how Canada sees itself fitting in the bigger picture, finding the right line between efficiency and autonomy.

Besides, as one of the guys in the office said this week, whenever government tries to do things behind closed doors, a little healthy paranoia isn't so bad.

I love it....so Mexico is the only one that the citizens want it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by grandmasmad

I love it....so Mexico is the only one that the citizens want it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course! Mexico would get US and Canadian money and we would get their illiterate, uneducated poor. Definitely NOT a win for US and Canada.