This is a press release from the office of Peter Julian, an NDP Member of Parliament.
NDP JOINS FORCES WITH U.S. AND MEXICAN LEGISLATORS TO STOP SPP
OTTAWA – NDP International Trade Critic Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster) announced that he had successful discussions with partners in the U.S. Congress and the Mexican Congress while in Washington , DC , last week. Julian was joined by U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, Ohio ) and the Honourable Yeidckol Polevnsky (senator for Mexico State and vice-president of the Mexican Senate).
These elected representatives have agreed to file simultaneous legislative Motions to stop further implementation of the so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) process, imposed undemocratically on our three nations, and to open up the process that has taken place behind closed doors to instead have a transparent review and scrutiny within their respective legislatures.
“This is an important step forward,” Julian said. “The NDP has been campaigning across Canada to expose and to stop the SPP. We’ve held over 20 public forums in more than twenty cities and a dozen more are being planned for the spring of 2008. These forums have been held to speak out on the grave concerns surrounding the SPP and to help ensure that Canadians from coast to coast to coast get informed and have their say. This trinational initiative with colleagues from the U.S. and Mexico takes us to a new stage in our fight to stop the SPP.”
Julian was in Washington , DC , last week for a conference held on March 5th at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, which took a critical look at how NAFTA has impacted North America . The SPP discussions were part of a comprehensive dialogue between legislators, civil society and the trade movement, to overhaul and renegotiate NAFTA and to assess the impacts of bilateral trade deals currently negotiated with Colombia .
The legislators from Canada , the U.S. and Mexico also agreed to launch a Task Force to push for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in order to achieve a fair trade policy. The Task Force on Renegotiating NAFTA, is chaired by NDP Trade Critic, Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster), U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), the Honourable Yeidckol Polevnsky (Senator for Mexico State and Vice-president of the Mexican Senate), and the Honourable Victor Quintana (Deputy of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico), with support from their respective political parties. Members of the Task Force undertake to promote within their respective legislatures the renegotiation of NAFTA.
Julian also held a joint press conference on March 6, 2008 in Washington, DC, with U.S. Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and Mike Michaud (D-ME), announcing that they will work together to defeat the Colombia Free Trade Agreement in Canada and the U.S.
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At least there are a few people we elect who earn their paycheques.