Trade agreements put profits before people
Re: “Constitutional challenge launched against EU deal,” Oct. 25.
I applaud Wallonia’s refusal to agree to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. Walloons have concerns about the threat of surging pork and beef imports from Canada and an independent court system to settle disputes between states and foreign investors, which critics fear hands power to multinationals.
Embedded in the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a similar, undemocratic investor-state dispute settlement provision, that would allow corporations to sue Canada if they believe their profits are threatened by domestic regulations.
These provisions will result in millions of dollars being awarded to profitable corporations, but even more damagingly, in a chill on Canadian governments regulating in the public interest in ways that might interfere with corporate interests and potential profits.
The TPP puts corporate profits before people’s lives in many other ways, including the negative impact it will have on access to medicines in low-income countries and in Canada. Its provisions expand and strengthen drug patents. Médecins Sans Frontières calls the TPP “the most harmful trade pact ever for access to medicines.” Canadians will certainly feel the impacts of reduced access to affordable, generic medicines.
Canada’s return to the world stage as a responsible global citizen and our recent support for the UN’s sustainable development goals are simply not congruent with ratifying the TPP as it is. Rather, we should be raising our voices against this agreement that puts people at risk in the service of profits.
JoAnn Mulhern Victoria Grandmothers Advocacy Network Cobble Hill