Harper's Sneaky, Undemocratic, Terrible Deal with China

[Romero]

The sudden ratification of the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act is sparking startled outrage across Canada



International Trade Minister Ed Fast, announced that it had decided to ignore widespread public opposition; parliamentary opposition from the NDP, Greens and even lukewarm Liberal criticism; an ongoing First Nations legal challenge; even division at its own cabinet table and from grassroots membership; and proceed with the ratification.



Canada's ratification of the deal means it will enter into force on Oct. 1. And once that happens, we'll be locked into the terms of FIPA for a minimum of 31 years. That's right, even if a new government is formed after the election next year and they choose to back out of FIPA, the next seven Canadian governments will be bound by the consequences of Harper's poor negotiations.



Just how bad of a deal has Harper locked the next seven Canadian governments into? Here's how Diane Francis -- hardly an anti-trade left-winger -- described it in an op-ed in the Financial Post:



"The Tories, backed by a naive Canadian Chamber of Commerce and a handful of big, conflicted business interests, have demonstrated the worst negotiating skills since Neville Chamberlain.



"Ottawa capitulated to China on everything. The deal, using a hockey metaphor, allows only a select few to play on Team Canada on a small patch of ice in China and to be fouled, without remedies or referees. By contrast, Team China can play anywhere on Canadian ice, can appeal referee calls it dislikes and negotiate compensation for damages while in the penalty box behind closed doors.



"The terms agreed to by Ottawa are unprecedented and would be laughed out of Britain, Brussels, Canberra or Washington. Beijing has negotiated a heads-I-win-tails-Canada-loses deal."



So maybe we shouldn't be surprised that the Harper government tried to downplay ratification of the deal and sneak out the back door when nobody was looking.



http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/09/15/Harpers-FIPA/">//http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/09/15/Harpers-FIPA/

Harper once again selling out Canada to the lowest bidder. No wonder the details have been kept hidden under Harper's "democracy".



You can tell it's going to be a great deal by how we can't get out of it until China gets all it wants.

[Anonymous]

^An editorial from that TIDES stooge TYEE is hardly real news.



Canada has 21 FIPAs in force with countries as far afield as Russia and Argentina, Thailand and Armenia. Many more are awaiting ratification or are currently being negotiated.



The FIPA model has been enshrined in the North American free-trade agreement. For a variety of good reasons, some form of protection for Canadian foreign direct investment seems desirable.



Wenran Jiang, a China expert from the University of Alberta and director of the Canada-China Energy and Environment Forum, said the ratification will help thaw the icy relationship.

"This is a major step by the Canadian government -- and to be more specific, by Harper himself and the cabinet -- to mend the fence prior to his November China trip," he said.

[Anonymous]

I will reserve my opinion on this until I read more about it. I don't mean from either the pro or anti sides. They exaggerate. The devil will be in the details.

[Big Wave Dave]

The sudden ratification of the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act is sparking startled outrage across Canada



International Trade Minister Ed Fast, announced that it had decided to ignore widespread public opposition; parliamentary opposition from the NDP, Greens and even lukewarm Liberal criticism; an ongoing First Nations legal challenge; even division at its own cabinet table and from grassroots membership; and proceed with the ratification.



Canada's ratification of the deal means it will enter into force on Oct. 1. And once that happens, we'll be locked into the terms of FIPA for a minimum of 31 years. That's right, even if a new government is formed after the election next year and they choose to back out of FIPA, the next seven Canadian governments will be bound by the consequences of Harper's poor negotiations.



Just how bad of a deal has Harper locked the next seven Canadian governments into? Here's how Diane Francis -- hardly an anti-trade left-winger -- described it in an op-ed in the Financial Post:



"The Tories, backed by a naive Canadian Chamber of Commerce and a handful of big, conflicted business interests, have demonstrated the worst negotiating skills since Neville Chamberlain.



"Ottawa capitulated to China on everything. The deal, using a hockey metaphor, allows only a select few to play on Team Canada on a small patch of ice in China and to be fouled, without remedies or referees. By contrast, Team China can play anywhere on Canadian ice, can appeal referee calls it dislikes and negotiate compensation for damages while in the penalty box behind closed doors.



"The terms agreed to by Ottawa are unprecedented and would be laughed out of Britain, Brussels, Canberra or Washington. Beijing has negotiated a heads-I-win-tails-Canada-loses deal."



So maybe we shouldn't be surprised that the Harper government tried to downplay ratification of the deal and sneak out the back door when nobody was looking.



http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/09/15/Harpers-FIPA/">//http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/09/15/Harpers-FIPA/

Harper once again selling out Canada to the lowest bidder. No wonder the details have been kept hidden under Harper's "democracy".



You can tell it's going to be a great deal by how we can't get out of it until China gets all it wants.

Canadians are not the only peoples concerned investment agreements with China. All over Asia, fear is growing about China using it's vast economic influence to cut one sided deals in their favour.