http://www.canadians.org/integratethis/media/index.html

Citizen's Guide to the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP)
Just say no to the SPP: Five reasons to oppose the Security and
Prosperity Partnership of North America

- download PDF version -

The Security and Prosperity Partnership is such a big agreement, with so
many policy recommendations in so many areas, that it sometimes feels
like we need a ten-page essay to fully explain why it is such a rotten
deal for Canada. But it isnt really all that complicated. The Council
of Canadians opposes the SPP for five main reasons related to its impact
on democracy, water, energy, military and foreign policy, and the real
security of citizens across the continent.
1. The SPP is anti-democratic

The SPP is the political manifestation of a corporate plan for economic
and security integration that was never voted on in any country. Big
business lobbies like the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE)
drafted almost all of the SPPs 300 initiatives and they continue to be
the only Canadian group with any input into the SPP. In May 2006, Prime
Minister Stephen Harper put 10 members of the CCCE onto a permanent
high-level advisory board called the North American Competitiveness
Council (NACC). This group has been asked to prioritize the priorities
in the SPP and to drive change. Meanwhile, the public and most of our
publicly elected officials have been left out of the picture completely.
2. The SPP is a waste of energy

Energy is arguably the sticky goo holding the SPP together. Canada and
Mexico have agreed to give U.S. oil companies an even tighter grip of
both countries resouces in return for vague assurances that the U.S.
wont shut the border to our goods. In Canada, that means guaranteeing a
fivefold increase in tar sands production, no matter what the
consequences for the environment and public health and even if it
makes greenhouse gas reductions impossible. Pipelines are under
construction to ship raw bitumen out of Alberta and to U.S. refineries,
which means were not even securing any jobs out of this energy fire
sale. In Mexico, while their oil and gas industry is miraculously still
state-owned, the corporate lobby behind the SPP is pushing for
privatization. Clearly, this partnership is about U.S. energy security
at the expense of Canadian and Mexican jobs and the environment, and is
therefore an incredible waste of energy for Canada.
3. The SPP will lead to bulk water exports

An SPP roundtable on the Future of the North American Environment on
April 27, 2007 in Calgary discussed water consumption, water transfers
and artificial diversions of bulk water, with the aim of achieving
joint optimum utilization of the available [North American] water. The
meeting was part of the White House-funded North American Future 2025
Project that has Canadian government backing as a venue to help guide
the ongoing Security and Prosperity Partnership, according to a CanWest
news article. It's no secret that the U.S. is going to need water,
project leader Armand Peschard-Sverdrup told the Ottawa Citizen. It's
no secret that Canada is going to have an overabundance of water. At the
end of the day, there may have to be arrangements. Those arrangements
are clearly being discussed behind closed doors and must cease immediately.
4. The SPP makes Canadians less secure

Joint Canada-U.S. no-fly lists, exclusive airport service for trusted
travelers, and racially based immigration policies that criminalize
people from high risk countries. These are among a few of the
extremely disturbing security measures contained in the SPP. The
simple fact that Maher Arar is still on the U.S. no-fly list, despite
exoneration and a formal apology from the RCMP and our federal
government, is proof that none of these measures can make Canadians any
safer. In fact, they increase the insecurity of thousands of people who
may be banned from flying, unnecessarily detained, or even deported
because of where they were born or with whom they associate.
5. The SPP ties us to the U.S. war on terror

The SPP ties Canada even closer to a militaristic U.S. government and
will inevitably erode any differences that currently exist between our
two countries foreign and defence policies. Already we see Canada
amplifying its role in Afghanistan and advertising the fact on
billboards in Washington, D.C. We see a shift in stance on Middle East
issues with Canada backing the U.S. position every time. And we see the
big business lobby continuing to push Canada to sign on to missile
defence and create a joint military command for all of North America.
This is all despite public opinion polls on the Department of Foreign
Affairs website showing that 83 per cent of Canadians would rather that
we forge an independent foreign policy despite the negative
consequences it might have on trade with the U.S.
Its time to put an end to the SPP!

The Council of Canadians demands that Canada cease all talks leading
toward deeper integration between Canada and the United States. At the
very least, we must bring the SPP to the House of Commons for a full
debate. We must also disband the North American Competitiveness Council
and consult with Canadians in a meaningful and participatory way on
Canada-U.S. relations. The majority of Canadians would prefer a
Sovereignty and Justice Partnership with the United States, which
protects Canadas energy and water, preserves an independent foreign
policy, and addresses real security concerns instead of the fantasies of
the Bush administration.
http://www.canadians.org/integratethis/backgrounders/guide/noSPP.html

Leaders discuss border, trade TheStar.com - News - Leaders discuss
border, trade
August 20, 2007
Tonda MacCharles and Bruce Campion-Smith
Ottawa Bureau
MONTEBELLO, Que U.S. President George W. Bush arrived at his meeting
with Prime Minister Stephen Harper today with a quick apology for being
late.

Harper greeted the tanned president outside the majestic Chateau
Montebello resort as he arrived here for the start of the North American
leaders summit.

Geez, youve got a small army with you there, quipped Harper as he
clapped Bush on the shoulder and shook his hand.

Yeah, said Bush. Sorry Im late. Beautiful place here.

The two exchanged handshakes, and as a reporter asked Bush whether he
had seen the protests, he glanced over his shoulder and grinned.

As he stood waiting for the presidents arrival, Harper was asked
whether he had seen the demonstrators who were gathering near the summit
site to protest the high-level meeting between the three leaders.

Ive heard its nothing. Its sad, Harper told reporters.

Bush and Harper then headed into the hotel for a bilateral meeting.

The leaders discussed border issues, trade, and Canadas sovereignty
over the Arctic, said officials from the Canadian government.

Harper drew the presidents attention to comments made last weekend by
the former U.S. ambassador to Canada, Paul Cellucci, who said it makes
sense to recognize Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic waters.

The president offered little reaction and certainly did not reverse his
countrys longstanding official view that the northern islands belong
to Canada but the waters are international territory.

Harper said he regretted a U.S. withdrawal from talks to establish
border pre-clearance rules that would speed up traffic at land borders,
and added that he hoped to relaunch them.

Mexican President Felipe Caldersn was due to arrive at the summit site
later in the afternoon amid concerns that he may have to cut short his
visit and return home to Mexico as Hurricane Dean headed for the resorts
of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Bush arrived on Air Force One at Ottawa airport shortly after 1 p.m. As
he exited the jet, he was greeted by David Wilkins, the U.S. ambassador
in Canada and Governor General Michaklle Jean. Jean and her husband
Jean-Daniel Lafond had a short meeting with the President before he was
flown by helicopter to Montebello, about 80 km east of Ottawa.

A White House press spokesman told the U.S. press corps travelling with
Bush they were late taking off because Bush had taken time out to award
a medal for exceptional public service to an 85-year-old naval officer
who, for 40 years, had undertaken missions to find Americans captured or
lost as POWs and MIAs or kidnapped and imprisoned in foreign lands.

Riot police fired tear gas and pepper spray to hold back protesters
outside the Chateau Montebello as Harper met Bush.

A line of police in riot gear jostled with about 50 demonstrators the
vanguard of hundreds who marched on the front gate of the summit
compound shouting taunts.

Officers eventually used pepper spray and at least one canister of tear
gas to restrain the protesters, who responded by flinging rocks and
branches. Two protesters were hauled away in handcuffs.

The confrontation settled into a face-to-face standoff between a
hardcore group of protesters and police, while other demonstrators sat
down or backed off.

The activists converged on Montebello on Monday to protest the summit,
but concerns about huge, violent demonstrations fizzled.

About 20 busloads of protesters from Ottawa spilled on to the highway
running through the hamlet.

More than 500 people marched along the road toward the gate of the
summit compound which is ringed by a four-metre-high steel security
fence. They chanted slogans and carried banners, including one reading:
Say No To Americanada.

Police stood guard along the perimeter and patrolled the area in cars,
motorcycles, ATVs and helicopters.

Riot police lined up in front of the front gates as the marchers some
wearing anarchist red-and-black flags and carrying signs condemning U.S.
President George W. Bush as a war criminal approached.

Despite the jostling and the pepper spray, it was a far cry from
previous meetings such as the G-8, APEC and the Summit of the Americas
when thousands of people turned out and demonstrations turned violent.

Protesters are barred from the compound but their activities are being
relayed to the hotel lobby where they can be viewed on two video monitors.

There are seemingly as many causes as protesters, who condemn North
American integration, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the leaders
performance on the environment, the plight of aboriginals, and the
human-rights abuses committed in the war on terror.

One common complaint echoed by all is the secrecy surrounding the meeting.

A group of powerful business executives has been invited to make a
closed-door presentation Tuesday at the summit on changes they believe
the continent needs. No such invitation was extended to scientists,
environmentalists, or other social activists.

With Bushs presence, security in the summit compound was so tight that
even Harpers closest staff had to pass through scanners.

In Ottawa, there were no demonstrators at the heavily-guarded U.S.
Embassy and the only strangers on Parliament Hill were camera-toting
tourists.

The final communiqui from the two-day summit will include an order from
Harper, Bush and Calderon to their respective cabinet ministers to
create new border regulations for emergencies, said sources in two
countries.

The leaders want to see rules on who and what would be allowed to cross
North American borders amid crises like a terrorist attack or an
outbreak of avian flu.

The move is the latest effort to increase security while allowing goods
to flow freely, and stems from the chaotic aftermath of the Sept. 11,
2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S.

The security clampdowns and protracted lineups six years ago cost the
North American economy billions of dollars and, by some estimates, has
since reduced Canadian exports to the U.S. by more than $10 billion.

The border announcement is one of several expected at the summit.

The leaders also plan to announce that they will recognize the research
of each countrys food and drug regime in an effort to reduce costs and
avoid duplication.

A Canada-Mexico deal is also brewing that would allow more Mexican
migrant workers into Canada under an expanded program for agricultural
labourers. U.S. Congress killed a similar attempt earlier this year to
reach such an agreement between that country and Mexico.

Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians said people shouldnt be fooled
about who really sets the agenda at these summits: the 30 business
leaders who sit on the North American Competitiveness Council.

The group comprises leaders from 10 companies in each country and
includes corporations like Wal-Mart, General Electric and weapons-maker
Lockheed Martin. They advise the three national governments on
facilitating trade.

Barlow called for a moratorium on the profoundly anti-democratic North
American Security and Prosperity Partnership until the citizens of all
three countries are consulted and their elected representatives are
given oversight over the business-driven initiative.

Flanked by U.S and Mexican opponents of the scheme and Canadian labour
activists, Barlow told a news conference Monday that big business is
trying to create a competitive North American trade bloc.

And for this they need regulatory, resource, labour and environmental
convergence to the lowest common standards, she said, predicting that
it will ultimately include a common passport, common currency and free
trade in resources, including oil, gas and water.

This is not about security for people, social security, security for
the poor, environmental security or job security. This is about security
for the big corporations for North America.

Even before the summit began, it drew protests, including one Sunday
that resulted in a commercial rail line being temporarily blocked in
Montreal.

with files from Canadian Press

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/248037

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