To the editor,
The leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico recently met at the Security and Prosperity Partnership summit in Montebello, Quebec. The lack of transparency at these meetings has raised lots of questions and concerns: What effect will continental integration have on the sovereignty of Canada? Why are these meetings being held behind closed doors? Why does the North American Competitiveness Council, comprised of the 30 biggest North American corporations, have representation at the SSP when the public doesn't have any representation? It seems that the purpose of the SPP is to further meet the economic mandates of North American Free Trade Agreement, the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund. Canada has reasonable health, safety and environmental standards, but will the SPP undermine this by conforming to the often-lower standards of Mexico and the United States? Lower standards might be good for the business interests of multi-national corporations, but not for the people of this nation. I would like to see trilateral meetings in North America that demand the highest possible standards; that address climate change and the prosperity gap; and that guarantee that security measures do not infringe on the rights and sovereignty of Canadian citizens. Stephen Harper promised more transparency, and I want to see more transparency concerning the SSP.
By Jason Setnyk
