Thread: Rebuilding and Expanding the North American Relationship

A major priority for Canada’s new prime minister is to reset the relationships with both the U.S. and Mexico. There is a real opportunity for all three countries to recommit to building a North American community. This includes expanding political, security and economic cooperation, as well as greater coordination on issues such as energy and the environment. Further deepening Canada-Mexico ties is one of the keys to strengthening continental relations. The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which builds on the commitments of NAFTA could also help take North American trilateral integration to the next level.

On October 5, 2015, negotiations concluded on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which includes Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the U.S., and Vietnam. The massive Pacific Rim trade pact is scheduled to be formally signed on February 4 in New Zealand, but it will still need to be ratified by each of the member nations. Like other trade agreements that have come before it, the TPP will ultimately fail to deliver on the promise of economic growth and prosperity. The controversial deal poses significant threats to internet freedom, food safety, public health and the environment. It includes NAFTA-style investor rights that allows corporations to sue governments over decisions that may affect their future profits. The agreement contains thousands of pages of legal text and technical language, which covers a lot more than just trade. With the U.S., Canada and Mexico all a part of the TPP, it amounts to a complete renegotiation of NAFTA through the backdoor.

The TPP marks another step towards greater regional cooperation and integration. The U.S.-driven trade deal changes how member countries manage their economies and businesses. It sets the rules for a new global economic order, which would further erode national sovereignty. The TPP together with the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are part of plans to merge North America with Asia and Europe.

read full article http://beyourownleader.blogspot.ca/2...-american.html

Japan's lead negotiator for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, Japanese economy minister Akira Amari, quits over bribery claims

• 28 January 2016

Japan's Economy Minister Akira Amari has said he is resigning amid corruption allegations.

Mr Amari unexpectedly made the announcement at a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday. But he again denied personally receiving bribes from a construction company, as had been alleged by a Japanese magazine.

The development will be seen as a significant blow for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Mr Amari, who has been minister of state for economic and fiscal policy since late 2012, has been widely described as one of Mr Abe's most trusted members of parliament.

As Japan's lead negotiator for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, Mr Amari was expected to travel to New Zealand next week to sign the agreement.

He was also regarded as the architect of Abenomics - Mr Abe's plan to pull the world's third largest economy out of deflation.

"This is possibly the biggest scandal the Abe administration has faced," said the BBC's Mariko Oi.
"His resignation will probably raise even more questions over Mr Abe's economic policies - or Abenomics," our correspondent added.

"It may also raise further opposition within Japan to the TPP." Mr Amari will be replaced by Nobuteru Ishihara, formerly the country's environment minister.

'I'm no exception'

A local magazine had reported last week that Mr Amari and his aides were given money and gifts worth some 12m yen ($101,000; £70,500) by a construction company in return for some favours linked to land ownership.

Mr Amari said he did receive money which he wanted declared as a political donation, however, he said some of it was mishandled by his staff.

Japan's economy, which has been struggling with deflation for nearly two decades, avoided a technical recession in the three months to September last year.

"Japan is finally emerging from deflation," Mr Amari told the press conference, as reported by Reuters. "We need to pass legislation through parliament for steps to beat deflation and create a strong economy as soon as possible.

"Anything that hampers this must be eliminated, and I'm no exception," Reuters reported him as saying.
"I, therefore, would like to resign as minister to take responsibility [for what my aide has done]," he said, according to Reuters.

Mr Amari is the fourth member of Mr Abe's cabinet to resign amid allegations of bribery, among other issues. Mr Abe has apologised for the latest resignation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35427563

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Petition is available here..........

Tell President Obama (useless but) & all TPP decision-makers:

"Signing the TPP while there are serious allegations of corruption concerning one of its top negotiators would be reckless and anti-democratic. Do not sign the TPP. We demand a full investigation into these bribery charges and a review of all officials involved in TPP negotiations."

https://cms.fightforthefuture.org/japan/


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Why Would Obama Push A Trade Deal That Would Cut Pay Of 90% Of Workers?

https://ourfuture.org/20140425/trade-deal-means-lower-wages-for-90-of-americans-why-is-obama-pushing

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TPP = Mass immigration

Dick Morris - The Hill 4/15

In his seventh and eighth year, every president worries about his legacy and tries to control events in the future. But here Obama is enshrining in a treaty — that cannot be repealed or amended — an open-border immigration policy for all time.

Curtis Ellis, executive director of the American Jobs Alliance, calls the trade deal “a Trojan horse for Obama’s immigration agenda” on The Hill’s Contributor’s blog. He notes that “one corporate trade association says bluntly that ‘The TPP should remove restrictions on nationality or residency requirements for the selection of personnel.’ ”

Because foreign treaties are the “law of the land,” according to the U.S. Constitution, any provision governing our borders and the flow of immigrants could not be overridden or even modified by Congress. A new president would be able to reverse Obama’s amnesty plan but not the open-border provisions of the TPP. The treaty could lead to the effective repeal of the specifically enumerated power granted to Congress in Article I of the Constitution to regulate immigration and naturalization.

While the treaty is still being negotiated, the current focus on white-collar immigration would be sufficiently elastic to allow open borders. For instance, what is white collar compared to blue collar? Are we going to set an income limit on immigration?

http://thehill.com/opinion/dick-morr...ss-immigration