Roy Whyte on Canadian and World Politics

Canada and the United States have throughout their collective histories together, as almost always-peaceful neighbours towards one-another, had some form of a free trade agreement. While the terms and adherence to these agreements has ebbed and flowed over the decades, it was almost always beneficial to both nations. With the final signing of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement in 1989, things began to change for Canada. Equal and fair trade between the nations began to come apart, and it culminated in the one-sided North American Free Trade Agreement that came into force in 1994. What was meant to be the world's premier trading bloc between Canada, America and Mexico turned into an investment deal that has since seen Canadian industry and sovereignty gutted and sold off to the highest bidder. These trade deals which were sold to Canadians as good deals for Canada and Canadian industry, have turned out to be anything but.

By the early 1980's trade between Canada and the United States had become the largest bi-lateral trading relationship in the world. There were problems of course with protectionist measures and what both sides deemed to be unfair duties placed on their exports, or undue subsidies on domestic industries, but on the whole trade between the nations was growing year over year. Since then, public myth has claimed that it was Canada that wanted to initiate a ground breaking trade deal with the Americans, and that the American side was reluctant to take part. Years later it came to light that U.S. Ambassador Thomas Niles had been working behind the scenes to ferment a bug in Canadian ears that we could have a deal that would allow Canadians free access to American markets.

It was in this climate of half-truths, that Canadian sovereignty, industry and culture would be protected, that the inclusion into the trade deal of "National Standing" was introduced, all without mention by the Canadian Conservative government of Brian Mulroney. National Standing or investor state rights essentially allow U.S. investors the exact same rights as Canadian citizens under the law. After the glitzy signing ceremonies and media crowning of the deal as a great day for Canada and Canadian industry, a U.S. trade representative Clayton Yeutter muttered, "We've signed a stunning new trade pact with Canada. The Canadians don't even know what they have signed. In twenty years they will be sucked into the U.S. economy."

Russia's 15th century styled land grab in the Arctic through their planting of a Russian flag under the North Pole has awakened some semblance of Canadian nationalism among many Canadians. Realizing that with global warming quickly opening up the northern regions, nations like Russia are making moves to cement their claims over this potentially energy rich region.

It was a campaign promise by the Conservatives to champion Canadian claims over the North, yet with over a year and half gone by, little beyond grand announcements have actually been undertaken. Now they have little choice but to speed up their moves in this arena.

On one hand it's great that Stephen Harper's Conservative government is enforcing Canada's claim to the Northwest Passage and parts of the high arctic, but on the other his government is busy giving Canada away to the Americans through the Security and Prosperity Partnership. This North American Union is nothing more than a wholesale giveaway of everything Canadian starting with our sovereignty through the loss of our inherent democratic right to choose what we want for ourselves as Canadians. Instead we will get American laws on everything from the environment and trade to having to share their military adventures around the world.