If I were to go out into the street today and randomly ask 10 people what they thought of the upcoming FIPA agreement, what do you think they might say?
Would they understand the ramifications of all parts of this accord (any one of the 10 of them)? Do they know that the Foreign Investment Protection Agreement (FIPA) would give foreign corporations sweeping powers to sue Canadian governments for implementing common-sense environmental protections, investing in Canadian jobs, or for stopping the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline and other projects like it?
And worse, these lawsuits would happen in secret tribunals outside Canadian legal channels and would be in effect for a minimum of 15 years (plus the possibility of an extension to double that)?
All this could become law within a week with no input or voting required by the public, or by committees.
In other words, after that implementation, democracy as we know it will cease as will Canadian sovereignty over one of the last free countries in the west.
We need to pressure our MPs, and I can think of no better way than by making it public in your newspaper, so that more people can decide for themselves before it is too late.
Lyn Pollard
Coombs
