Barrie should strive for exemption from CETA
Trade deal with Europe would affect municipal right to prioritize
Letter to the Barrie Examiner May 13 2011
New Tecumseth town council has passed a resolution asking the provincial government to negotiate a clear exemption from the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (the Canada-European Union trade deal known as CETA) for local governments.
The resolution expresses concern that the deal currently being negotiated by the federal government with the European Union could reduce or eliminate the right to specify local priorities when public money is invested in goods, services or capital projects.
New Tecumseth Coun. Jim Stone, who introduced the resolution, told council that the matter is an issue of vital importance to Canadian business — even Honda Canada has asked the government to cease these negotiations, he said.
Stone did research on the topic for his presentation to council that included information from Angela Giles, Atlantic regional director, Council of Canadians, and Maude Barlow, national chairperson, the Council of Canadians.
New Tecumseth is not alone is passing such resolutions.
Hopefully, Barrie city council would do what New Tecumseth has done: introduce a resolution to exempt our municipal government from CETA.
Mariane Cancilla Barrie
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