Massive internal divisions

Details

Published on Thursday, 24 April 2014 14:00

Written by editor

Stephen Harper is about to sign off on the world's biggest corporate power grab, the TPP.
But the talks are in trouble.

Can you tell Stephen Harper and his minister to stand up for Canadian democracy and to reject the TPP?

What do Google, Pfizer and Honda have it common? Uncovered lobbying documents show that they're pressuring the Harper government to sign off on the world's biggest corporate power grab, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

These corporations are trying to convince Harper the deal is a good deal for Canadians -- but what do they gain? The ability to sue the Canadian government for future laws around making more affordable generic drugs, internet freedoms, and emissions rules.

Harper is refusing to make the deal public, so while we're in the dark, 600 corporate lobbyists from companies like Google, Pfizer and Honda have the inside scoop. Leaks so far indicate this deal is bad news. That’s why Harper wants it to stay confidential -- if people actually knew what was in this secretive deal, they’d never agree to it.

Can you tell Stephen Harper to reject the TPP now and protect our democratic rights?

Experts say the TPP negotiations are being conducted with a level of secrecy never witnessed before in any previous trade agreement. The 29-chapter megapact covers everything from restricting internet freedoms to weakening environmental protections and making it illegal for farmers to save seeds. But that’s not the worst of it. One of the key parts of the deal is a system that will allow the world’s biggest companies -- like Google, Pfizer and Honda -- to overturn our democratically decided laws in secret and unaccountable courts.

Already, corporations are playing Russian roulette with our laws. Infinito Gold, a Canadian mining giant, is threatening a $1 billion lawsuit against Costa Rica for rejecting a toxic, open-pit gold mine after massive protests from local citizens. And U.S. pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is suing the Canadian government for half a billion dollars for allowing other companies to make generic affordable versions of two of its drugs after their patents had expired.

We know the TPP is in critical condition. There are massive internal divisions, and President Obama just went to Asia to try and save the stalled talks. And our allies just launched a huge campaign at the U.S. Embassy in Washington D.C. This is the perfect moment to make the Harper government take a stand on the TPP.

Sign the petition to Stephen Harper and tell him not to open Canada up to corporate lawsuits.

The SumOfUs community exists to challenge corporate power, and together, our community voted to make stopping unfair global trade deals one of our top priorities for 2014. We have a real opportunity to come together now and show Harper we’re not going to go down without a fight.

Thanks for all you do,
Angus, Hannah, and the team at SumOfUs.org

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More information:

Obama’s Asia Trip: TPP Make or Break Moment? The Huffington Post, April 23, 2014.
Wikileaks Publishes Secret Draft Chapter of TPP, The Guardian, 13th November 2013.
Monthly Communication Reports, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying.