I'm Your Huckleberry Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ! How is this not all over the news, and why does nobody care? http://elizabethmaym...ign-investment/ "Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to request an emergency debate on an issue of great importance to the future of Canada. During the Prime Minister’s visit to China in February 2012, we learned of the existence of the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the People’s Republic of China for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments, an agreement with far-reaching implications for Canada’s sovereignty, security and democracy. This agreement that we first learned of in February was then signed by the Prime Minister in Vladivostok at the APEC summit on September 9 but tabled before the House on September 26, the first time any parliamentarians had the chance to see the text. A 21-day clock is running on sitting days, which means we are now down to 18 sitting days before, as a matter of automatic decision-making within the Governor in Council, an agreement with far-reaching implications for the sovereignty of the country will become law. It is a treaty with the effect of legal force for a minimum of 15 years. If any future government wishes to get out of the onerous terms of this agreement with China, it would take a written notice of one year. It is not reciprocal but lopsided in the interests of Chinese rights to overturn and challenge Canadian laws and to seek damages from us. If any future government serves a one-year notice to get out of the agreement, any existing Chinese investments at the point of that notice would be further protected for another 15 years.The agreement is sweeping. I know that with 18 days remaining one might say where is the urgency. The urgency is that the governing party plans no debate in the House. There will be no vote in the House. I note that the official opposition has an opposition day motion tomorrow touching on one specific deal, the proposed takeover of Nexen by CNOOC, but that will not touch at all, in pith nor in substance, the far-reaching implications of a mandate for the Government of Canada to encourage Chinese investments in Canada. It is a mandate for the Canadian government to give national state-owned enterprises of Communist China equal treatment to any Canadian enterprises, but to give Chinese state-owned enterprises superior rights to any Canadian corporation in the case of any laws passed in our country and to have arbitration over claims for damages that will remain secret. The Canadian public will not know of them. I am shaken to my core by the depth and breadth of this motion that will not come before this House but merely before cabinet, and bind Canadians, municipal governments, provincial governments and federal governments for 15 years, Mr. Speaker, I beg of you to allow an emergency debate in the House. The Speaker: I thank the hon. member for raising this issue. I appreciate the importance she attaches to the issue, but I do not find that it meets the test set out for emergency debates." Here is Elizabeth May's petition: http://elizabethmaymp.ca/wp-content/uploads/FIPA-Petition.pdf It must be mailed in, but in can be mailed postage free. Please take the time to sign this petition! I know a lot of people just don't care about politics, but if you take the time to sign this petition, it may just end up being one of the most important things you ever do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkeeterHansen Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 All I saw was manitees. +1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 All I saw was manitees. +1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dral Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 So..... prolly a little off topic, but what ARE the requirements for an emergency debate then? And Sharpshooters reason for this not being in the news is silly If it were true, all you'd need to sell newspapers would be paragraphs of drivel coupled with pictures of manatees. I for one, would like to actually see what this trade agreement fully entails. BRB - got a date with google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 OP, this is why it's not bigger news or why people don't seem to care. The fact that this person couldn't take the few minutes to read the original post without being distracted by pictures in order to understand a real concern of what's occurring in their country, is symptomatic of what's afflicting the majority of the population in this country, in my opinion. Most are afflicted with apathy and ignorance, and they seem to wallow in it. And you couldn't even bother spelling manatees properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpcurtly Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 We're on a hockey forum. We care about hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryten Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 So..... prolly a little off topic, but what ARE the requirements for an emergency debate then? And Sharpshooters reason for this not being in the news is silly If it were true, all you'd need to sell newspapers would be paragraphs of drivel coupled with pictures of manatees. I for one, would like to actually see what this trade agreement fully entails. BRB - got a date with google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 While I am all for investments coming from overseas, I'm not a big fan of Canadian companies potentially be purchased by the Chinese Government and/or their sovereign wealth funds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucklehead Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 This what happens when you fill the house with pubescent WOW playing MPs. Canada's as good as dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai604 Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 What is this, I don't even. Is this for real? I am going to have to do some more researching and investigating on this subject. As another poster noted, what exactly is the criteria for an emergency debate? In my opinion, something of this magnitude should be debated upon and voted upon. How is that not happening? Unless I'm completely missing the plot here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm Your Huckleberry Posted October 7, 2012 Author Share Posted October 7, 2012 Here is Elizabeth May's petition: http://elizabethmaymp.ca/wp-content/uploads/FIPA-Petition.pdf It can be mailed in, postage free. This is an extremely important issue and will have a huge impact on Canada for generations. The fact that this is being kept from the public is horrifying. Why are the various news outlets not jumping all over this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsedin33 Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I'm not exactly a political brain, this seems a bit confusing to me, what exactly is the issue that we are concerned about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dittohead Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I won't support anything by the green party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I won't support anything by the green party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I'm not exactly a political brain, this seems a bit confusing to me, what exactly is the issue that we are concerned about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsedin33 Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 The Chinese are buying up Canadian resource companies in order to take the resources out of Canada for their own use, and in some cases, like oil, take it out of Canada, refine it in China, and then sell our oil back to us at high price. They're also heavily invested in real estate, oil, potash, mines, etc, and the Harper gov't is essentially allowing the piece-meal sale of Canada, bit by bit. In a world where resources are scarce, don't you think we should at the least be in control of our own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 For sure. Will this give our to-be Chinese overlords the right to lay oil pipes through BC? Also I don't get the logic behind this 15 year deal, how does that benefit us at all? How did it end up in there? Makes no sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Light Racicot Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 It doesnt add up to me. Why did the Harper Govt agree to this in the first place? How are they or any other Canadian going to benefit from this deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsedin33 Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 So from what I gather, the Chinese officials buy our resource companies and take Canadian resources for themselves. Is this agreement simply Harper saying he will allow Chinese officials to buy the companies or does the Canadian government own these companies? All I really get from this is that if any future Canadian government chooses to opt out, the Chinese will still own the rights to those resources and/or secret compensation for 15 years. I'm still unclear how it gives them more rights then Canadian business owners though. Is it that any law past that affects a Canadian organization will not affect a Chinese-owned Canadian corporation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlayingBurke Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 Canada's sovereignty is in danger. Really? This song and dance again. Every time Canadian officials try to speak with other countries, all of a sudden Canadian sovereignty becomes an issue. Canadian's never even had sovereignty until our poorly written Constitution. Then, when Canada attempts to negotiate with another country--Canada's left cries foul. Canada's sovereignty is infringed because the Americans want to control our boarder security; Canada's sovereignty is infringed because China want's to purchase some resources from Canada. How about we look at a real issue, where Canada is actually fighting for their sovereignty--the Arctic. That is currently the only case in point where Canada is actually fighting for sovereignty. This whole Chinese thing is nothing to do with Canadian sovereignty. This is a prime example to why the Green Party can only win one seat, because nobody takes them serious. They (The Green Party) does not know anything about International Trade, or economics. Harper's entire International Relations policy has been to open up trade with the Asia countries. Any classic Liberal supporter ought to be applauding Harper as he is simply walking down the "Third Option" path. Harper wants Canada to be less dependent upon the American economy. Therefore, he is attempting to open up relations with not only the Latin American countries, but more explicitly the Asia-Pacific countries--namely, China. It's not a bad idea since China is currently one of the more booming economies. Nevertheless, why is it that if China wants to purchase our oil, that is logically follows that Canada loses it's sovereignty? Please explain. Perhaps China will refine it and sell it back to Canada, but doesn't the Americans already do that with us? That is the way of the World Economy. Perhaps it makes sense to sell that oil to Canada East, as many of the NDP are wanting. However, Canada does lose money by doing this and why would they want to do that when they can A) make more money selling it to other countries in larger quantities, and build diplomatic relations with other/newer countries. I cannot wait to hear how the Green Party will respond when the Americans come knocking on our door for our water, since the mid-west of America is on the brink of having no water at all. What, if Canada makes a deal to send water to America, will that infringe on Canadian Sovereignty too? Let us not allow fear mongering and pure speculation to be our guide to determining whether a policy is sound or not. And to answer the next question coming. Sure, let there be a debate in the House. I see no problem with that. I do not see any reason why we should not sell our resources to China, though. It is smart for our economic health. Many like to say "what if we run out, or shouldn't we save some for ourselves," and to answer that--THAT IS BAD POLICY and you are going to call more problems with this isolationist policy. Moreover, running out? I'd like to see the empirical data for that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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