Stephen Harper's Conservatives have spent much of their time and effort in government jet-setting around the globe to sign trade agreements. And they've been primarily focused on getting something signed in order to proclaim success, rather than having any particular interest in the terms they end up imposing on Canada.
In softwood lumber negotiations with the U.S., the Conservatives threw away arbitral victories and handed over a billion dollars that rightly belonged to Canadian producers. Another negotiation with the U.S. forfeited provincial and municipal freedom of action indefinitely in exchange for 11 days of access to U.S. stimulus funds.
Also, in negotiating bilateral agreements with tax havens like Panama and notorious labour rights abusers like Colombia, the Conservatives conspicuously avoided addressing the costs of facilitating free trade and investment with countries whose standards fall far short of Canada's.
But that sad history of bilateral negotiations may pale in comparison to the risks involved in two new deals in the works.
First, even as Harper lectures European countries over their economic management, he's trying to finalize a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union. Numerous municipalities have raised alarm bells over the effect of new procurement rules, and health organizations have noted that the price of prescription drugs could be inflated by billions of dollars due to new patent rules. But the Conservatives are attempting to ram the deal through rather than doing anything to mitigate its costs.
All this makes for a tough act to follow when it comes to negligent negotiation.
But the Conservatives have outdone themselves in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Based on the Conservatives' track record, there might be little reason to believe a seat at the table would do Canada any good. But we'd still generally expect to have at least some voice in setting the terms of agreements that will bind us for years to come.
In the case of the TPP, though, the Conservatives have amazingly managed to agree to future terms that will be negotiated without our knowledge. Over the next few months, the existing TPP members will meet and finalize terms in two official rounds of negotiation. As the price of admission to future negotiations beginning in December, Harper has agreed that Canada will grin and bear whatever the other member countries decide upon in the meantime - without even having observer status to know what's on the table.
Now so far, the largest concerns with that concession have involved areas that were previously seen as roadblocks to Canada's participation in the TPP. In particular, the Conservatives have posed for years as defenders of supply management. But now, they've agreed to accept terms that could give away the farm without our having any say. And leaked versions of the current TPP documents include draconian intellectual property rules that could result in severe corporate crack-downs on Internet use.
Yet even those important issues may prove modest compared to Harper's agreement to accept whatever the other participants decide in our absence. Never mind how much we value financial regulation, which has helped our banking sector stay relatively stable, or even our commitment to single-payer health care or the CBC. In theory, anything at all could be introduced into the discussions this summer and signed away with a few strokes of a pen - without Canada getting any chance to negotiate.
That is, as long as Harper remains determined to sign the TPP and other trade deals with no regard for the cost. And the response the Conservatives hear from Canadians after putting everything on the table may determine just how much they ultimately give away.
Original Article
Source: leader post
Author: Greg Fingas
In softwood lumber negotiations with the U.S., the Conservatives threw away arbitral victories and handed over a billion dollars that rightly belonged to Canadian producers. Another negotiation with the U.S. forfeited provincial and municipal freedom of action indefinitely in exchange for 11 days of access to U.S. stimulus funds.
Also, in negotiating bilateral agreements with tax havens like Panama and notorious labour rights abusers like Colombia, the Conservatives conspicuously avoided addressing the costs of facilitating free trade and investment with countries whose standards fall far short of Canada's.
But that sad history of bilateral negotiations may pale in comparison to the risks involved in two new deals in the works.
First, even as Harper lectures European countries over their economic management, he's trying to finalize a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union. Numerous municipalities have raised alarm bells over the effect of new procurement rules, and health organizations have noted that the price of prescription drugs could be inflated by billions of dollars due to new patent rules. But the Conservatives are attempting to ram the deal through rather than doing anything to mitigate its costs.
All this makes for a tough act to follow when it comes to negligent negotiation.
But the Conservatives have outdone themselves in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Based on the Conservatives' track record, there might be little reason to believe a seat at the table would do Canada any good. But we'd still generally expect to have at least some voice in setting the terms of agreements that will bind us for years to come.
In the case of the TPP, though, the Conservatives have amazingly managed to agree to future terms that will be negotiated without our knowledge. Over the next few months, the existing TPP members will meet and finalize terms in two official rounds of negotiation. As the price of admission to future negotiations beginning in December, Harper has agreed that Canada will grin and bear whatever the other member countries decide upon in the meantime - without even having observer status to know what's on the table.
Now so far, the largest concerns with that concession have involved areas that were previously seen as roadblocks to Canada's participation in the TPP. In particular, the Conservatives have posed for years as defenders of supply management. But now, they've agreed to accept terms that could give away the farm without our having any say. And leaked versions of the current TPP documents include draconian intellectual property rules that could result in severe corporate crack-downs on Internet use.
Yet even those important issues may prove modest compared to Harper's agreement to accept whatever the other participants decide in our absence. Never mind how much we value financial regulation, which has helped our banking sector stay relatively stable, or even our commitment to single-payer health care or the CBC. In theory, anything at all could be introduced into the discussions this summer and signed away with a few strokes of a pen - without Canada getting any chance to negotiate.
That is, as long as Harper remains determined to sign the TPP and other trade deals with no regard for the cost. And the response the Conservatives hear from Canadians after putting everything on the table may determine just how much they ultimately give away.
Original Article
Source: leader post
Author: Greg Fingas
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