‘Trade’ agreements and media groupthink
POWELL RIVER, B.C.—The Trudeau government is hell bent on ratifying two massive investment agreements, CETA and the TPP, that will radically undermine Canadian democracy. Yet very few Canadians know about these deals because our mainstream media has been so irresponsible in reporting on their impacts. The first order irresponsibility is the media’s absolute determination to […]
Why the Obama meeting might have been the real help to solve the Mexican visa issue
One of the highlights of the recently completed bilateral and trilateral North American summits in Canada was the agreement on ending the visa requirement for Mexican visitors to Canada. With the visa issue off the table, the Mexican president was able to come to Canada and the long-delayed NAFTA summit could finally take place in […]
CETA investment court could lag years behind rest of deal
The most controversial portion of Canada’s trade deal with Europe may need approval from each national parliament in the European Union before coming into effect, potentially lagging years behind most parts of the agreement, a senior Canadian government official told reporters last week. The deal’s investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system, which the two sides overhauled […]
Why the Canada, EU trade deal may sink due to political and legal pressures
OTTAWA—The Canadian government has characterized the proposed trade agreement between Canada and the European Union (CETA) as its top trade priority. The deal would increase trade by removing tariffs from many products, but also create significant costs. For example, an extension of patent protections for pharmaceutical drugs could raise health-care costs by millions of dollars, […]
Justin Trudeau: poster child for globalism
OAKVILLE, ONT.—If you’re a hip, trendy, and fashionable progressive, odds are you’re also a “multicultural globalist.” Yes, apparently the term “multicultural globalist”—doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it?—is now officially a thing. I first came across this term while reading an article in the journal Politico, in which writer Michael Lind described multicultural globalists […]
Politics this morning: climate change talks and a free trade agreement with Ukraine
Today is Monday, July 11. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will pay his first official visit to Ukraine, where he is expected to sign a long-awaited free trade deal. Trudeau will have bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and is said to announce the inking of the deal, which has been in the works since […]
Good-bye, Obama: Canada’s strange, lopsided relationship with the U.S. marches on
BaLast I heard, they were still in court in New Orleans arguing about whether it was legal or not to sell margaritas to drivers in Louisiana’s drive-through booze outlets. The case had to do with whether the take-out alcoholic drinks had tape around the lids, which in the eyes of proponents of the business constituted […]
Canadian clout in U.S. near all-time low
Of the four most recent U.S. presidents to have addressed a joint session of the Canadian Parliament, Barack Obama has the least political capital left to spare to translate words into actions. In the dying months of his presidency, he is down to small change. Richard Nixon, who addressed Parliament in 1972, was around for […]
Trudeau government must hike duties on Chinese steel, say NDP, steelworkers
The NDP is urging the Trudeau government to follow through on its pledge to fight back against the dumping of unfairly subsidized steel—primarily from China—by hiking duties and reforming the country’s trade remediation process, including by permitting labour unions to initiate complaints. NDP MP Erin Weir (Regina-Lewvan, Sask.) said the Liberals must couple encouraging words with meaningful actions if they […]
Leaders summit still holds weight: politicians, pundits
Trade, unity, and cross-border relations dominated talks at the North American Leaders Summit last week, which ended with Canadian members of Parliament chanting “four more years” for outgoing President Barack Obama after his address in the House of Commons. They might have been chanting that because of the likelihood that either presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton […]
