Thread: Corporate Takeover of Canada

Corporate Takeover of Canada

By Dana Gabriel

Stephen Harper recently announced that if re-elected he will begin further removing barriers to foreign investment in the airline and uranium sectors. His plan is based on proposals set forth by the Competition Review Panel. Harper stayed clear of other more controversial recommendations from the panel, such as allowing bank mergers and opening up Canada’s telecommunications to further foreign investment. You can bet that if the Conservatives are able to secure a majority government, more of these recommendations will be implemented. The corporate agenda is further shaping public policy. Big business is a driving force behind the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), and deeper integration into a North American Union. Trade agreements, such as NAFTA, ultimately benefit multinational corporations at the expense of workers and the environment.



In June, the Competition Review Panel released their report, Compete to Win. It went well beyond its original mandate of competition and investment policy, delivering a full corporate economic plan. They called for a major overhaul in competition rules in the airline and uranium sectors, as well as broadcasting and telecommunications. The report also proposed ending the prohibition on bank mergers and called upon Canadians to adapt a more globally competitive mindset. It was welcomed by many in the business community, with some even stating that the panel didn’t go far enough. Many believe that, once implemented, these recommendations will boost the standard of living and improve Canada’s economy. Others have described the report as self-serving, with the purpose of creating an even more favorable climate for foreign corporations to operate inside the country.



The panel completely ignores the problems associated with globalization, and in turn offers more as the solution to Canada’s economic woes. Louis Erlichman, the research director for the IAMAW, said, “The Panel calls for further dismantling of Canada’s virtually non-existent controls on foreign investment. Canada has long been one of the world’s most open and foreign-dominated economies.â€

I thought Canada had clean water, but it sounds like there is something in the water system to make these lawmakers delusional, especially if they are opening up uranium investment to foreigners. I can just see the investors lining up now with IRAN first in line to be followed by Venezuela, North Korea and a lot of those others that just love the Western Hemisphere.