Trade talks with Europe a new attack on democracy

Six national organizations including NUPGE demand a halt to European free trade talks until countrywide consultations can be held.

Ottawa (25 Jan. 2010) - Following the second round of free trade talks between Canada and the European Union (EU) in Belgium, Canadian civil society organizations are demanding full transparency from the Harper government and a halt to negotiations while countrywide public consultations can be held.

The scope of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) jeopardizes public services, sustainability, social policy and local democracy, say the organizations, which include the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), the Council of Canadians (CoC), the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), the Sierra Club Canada (SCC), the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

Organizational statements

"This proposed agreement would prevent Canada from developing any new public services, would threaten existing public services and would prevent governments from using taxpayers' money to develop local economies. Public sector unions both here and in Europe have common concerns about these secretive talks, with their potentially major implications," says Larry Brown, NUPGE's secretary-treasurer.

“Harper is trampling on democracy yet again with a new round of secret trade talks in Europe. People around the world are demanding tougher climate and health protections, not an expansion of discredited laissez-faire capitalism,” says CoC national chairperson Maude Barlow.

“We’ve seen firsthand how NAFTA has destroyed jobs, depressed working conditions and rendered governments nearly powerless to corporate interests. Canadians can’t afford to go down that path again,” says Ken Lewenza, the CAW's national president.

“We simply cannot afford another trade agreement that gives investors legal mechanisms to challenge environmental laws and bylaws, particularly at the provincial and municipal levels where European companies are hoping to further constrain policy space,” says Janet Eaton, the SCC's environment and trade campaigner.

“The European Union has made clear it wants access to procurement and services within provincial jurisdiction. This means our public services like water and health are at risk in these talks. We need the Canadian government to stand up and make clear it is not willing to trade away public services,” says CUPE president Paul Moist.

"The EU, which is poised to fully deregulate all post offices between 2011 and 2013, has identified postal services as one of its priority sectors, but our government has yet to tell us what position it will be taking on postal issues. The public has a right to know what the Conservatives intend to do with our post offices," says CUPW president Denis Lemelin.

Backgrounders:
• Open For Business: Privatization, not higher standards, the main goal of Canada-EU free trade talks – Council of Canadians fact sheet - pdf 
• A Critical Assessment of the Proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Between the European Union and Canada – A joint position of the European Federation of Public Service Unions and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the National Union of Public and General Employees and the Public Service Alliance of Canada - pdf

Contacts:
• Dylan Penner - Council of Canadians, 613-795-8685, dpenner@canadians.org
• Angelo DiCaro - Canadian Auto Workers, 416-495-3754, Angelo.DiCaro@caw.ca
• Michael Bernard - Sierra Club Canada, 613-302-9933, michaelb@sierraclub.ca
• Canadian Union of Public Employees (Media Relations), 613-852-1494
• Katherine Steinhoff, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, 613-236-7230 (ext. 7918), ksteinhoff@cupw-sttp.org
• Len Bush, National Union of Public and General Employees, 613-228-9800,  lbush@nupge.ca