LETTERS

July 12, 2007. To Prime Minister Harper, RE: SPP

July 12, 2007

 

RE: Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America Leaders’ Summit

 

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

 

I was outraged to read that a public forum near Montebello with writers, academics and parliamentarians wanting to speak on this issue was blocked because the police and U.S. army wanted the community centre it was to be held at as a base of operations for summit security.

I am opposed to the SPP, which includes the no-fly list (the SPP states, “Develop comparable standards and procedures…for passenger screening”); pesticide residues (it says, “Work to resolve differences in pesticide maximum residue limits that may be barriers to trade…”); the tar sands (it calls for, “Greater economic production from the oil sands”); and civil rights (it calls for, “sharing of terrorist watch list data and the establishment of appropriate linkages between Canada, the United States and Mexico.”)

 

Mr. Harper, I strongly believe that the North American Competitiveness Council should be disbanded. Corporations such as Manulife Financial, Home Depot and Wal-Mart should not be shaping economic policy between Canada and the United States. You head a minority government, sir, and this kind of corporate control is anti-democratic. Dictators meet with corporate CEOs behind closed doors, and so I believe the North American Competitiveness Council is anti-Canadian.

 

Many of us are well aware of your past role in the National Citizens Coalition. You have NO mandate and no right to further erode Canada’s sovereignty. Your government is collaborating with the police and a foreign army in disrupting a lawful and peaceful gathering of concerned citizens. This is simply unacceptable.

 

I urge you to keep the promise you made in your Throne Speech that “significant international treaties will be submitted for votes in Parliament.” I believe that the Security and Prosperity Partnership should be subject to public hearings, as well as brought to the House of Commons for a full debate and vote.

 

I look forward to your response.

 

Sincerely,

Paul Chislett

 

Email Reply from the Prime Minister’s Office, July 13, 2007

“Dear Mr.  Chislett:

On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to thank you for your e-mail, in which you raised an issue which falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister always appreciates receiving mail on subjects of importance to Canadians.

Please be assured that the statements you made have been carefully reviewed. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to Minister MacKay so that he too may be made aware of your comments. I am certain that the Minister will give your views every consideration. For more information on the Government’s initiatives, you may wish to visit the Prime Minister’s Web site, at http://www.pm.gc.ca.”

L.A. Lavell
Executive Correspondence Officer
for the Prime Minister’s Office
Agent de correspondance
de la haute direction
pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre