Trade-talk secrecy raises concern

Group slams lack of consultation

The Council of Canadians, a concerned citizens’ group, is sounding the alarm over what it says is too much government secrecy on a round of Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks currently being held in Ottawa.

Trade officials from the 12 TPP countries are meeting behind closed doors in Ottawa from July 3 to 12. It’s believed at least some of the talks are being held at the John G. Diefenbaker Building — the old Ottawa city hall — which houses the federal government’s International Trade offices.

Like most trade talks, the meetings are not open to the public, but the Council of Canadians says the government has barely acknowledged the talks are in Ottawa. The council is questioning why there is so much secrecy around the latest round of negotiations.

The activist citizens’ group planned a briefing Monday for the general public, media and anyone else interested to “alleviate confusion arising from the Canadian hosts’ excessive secrecy.” The group is frustrated there will not be a stakeholder consultation process during the latest round of talks.

“Even the most basic information about negotiations is being withheld by the Canadian hosts,” the Council of Canadians said Monday in a written advisory.

The TPP — which currently includes Canada, the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam — represents a market of 792 million people and a combined $27.5 trillion in GDP, representing nearly 40 per cent of the global economy.

U.S. President Barack Obama had initially hoped to conclude the negotiations by the end of 2013, but it’s now looking likely that an agreement won’t be completed until some time in 2015.