(DUNCAN) - Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May says the new Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a bad deal and would be blocked by Green MPs in its current form.
"It appears that the Conservatives, operating a 'care-taker government' in an election, have just double-crossed the supply-managed sectors of Canada's agricultural sector, as well as the auto sector,” said May. “The Canadian government is now offering $4.3 billion in income support and other transitional programmes for producers in the dairy and poultry sectors. What they had promised producers was that they would defend supply management; instead they seem to think they can buy off producers with income supports for the next few years."
“The Green Party has serious concerns with the fundamentally undemocratic and non-transparent nature of the negotiations surrounding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP),” stated May. “With investor state provisions that allow foreign corporations to launch suits against Canada in private arbitrations if government decisions are considered bad for profits, this deal is a threat to Canada’s sovereignty. Signing this deal in the midst of a federal election is another disturbing example of Harper’s pattern of unaccountable, secretive, and undemocratic practices.”
“Elected Green MPs will work collaboratively within the next minority government to introduce legislation preventing these types of investor-state agreements that put foreign profit over the best interests of Canadians,” said Paul Manly, Green candidate for Nanaimo-Ladysmith. Mr. Manly is a well-known filmmaker and producer of the 2009 feature film ‘You Me and the SPP’, about the negative impacts of investor-state provisions found in the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“We must protect Canadian farmers and our manufacturing sector. The TPP jeopardizes Canadians’ livelihoods, including right here in Duncan,” said Fran Hunt-Jinnouchi, who is running to represent the riding of Cowichan-Malahat-Langford. “There has been no input from labour, environmental, health or consumer groups. Farmers aren’t even sure of the potential impact on their lives, since the text has remained secret throughout the negotiations. What we do know is that the TPP is likely to increase the price of Canadian milk and eggs.”
Frances Litman, Green candidate in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, continued: “The TPP will need to be ratified by the next parliament, so there has never been a more important time to send Green MPs to Ottawa. We will ensure that an open and transparent debate takes place before any vote.”
The TPP would allow trade between twelve Pacific nations (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, United States, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam). It remains unclear if the Canadian public will see the TPP fine print. In 2012, Ms. May signed a joint statement of Green Party parliamentarians from the United States, Australia and New Zealand, among others, to express concerns about TPP.
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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Julian Morelli
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
cell: (613) 614 4916
office: (613) 562 4916 (224)
julian.morelli@greenparty.ca
Or
Kirsten Strom
Executive Assistant to Director of Communications
t: 613.562.4916 (200)