“I very much look forward to the ratification and implementation of the Canada-China FIPA…” ~ Unelected premier Christy Clark, during the Canada-China Investment Summit

Posted on by Laila

Breaking news folks, and don’t forget you read it here first.

Read and weep my fellow loyal British Columbians…. read and behold why Christy Clark is ignoring the emails of thousands of concerned Canadians.

She’s been in support for some time. The jokes on us, apparently.

Thank you to J for this tell all letter.

christysellout

95 thoughts on ““I very much look forward to the ratification and implementation of the Canada-China FIPA…” ~ Unelected premier Christy Clark, during the Canada-China Investment Summit”

    1. Should have been made public with the implications. Seems no one really is aware she fullheartedly endorses this.The mayor of Coquitlam has some answering to do as well I would think, unless he is totally fine with everything this agreement encompasses.

      It’s yet another example of what happens when politicians don’t fully grasp the entirety of a policy… or when their agenda’s do not match those of the people who voted them in.

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  4. For the last while I have started to use the”Delivery status notification” in my email program. Often the recipient does not allow a response and occasional I get a “read response” but far more often I receive a not read response from politicians and government agencies. Sending letters by snail mail probably receives the same response with the letter landing in the “giggle basket”. Far too many bureaucrats and politicians seem to feel they rule by divine right and are not required to listen to the people.

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  5. Are you joking?! This is in no way a damning document. It’s simply an opening speech saying welcome, let’s talk. It speaks of no specific trade or issue. Simply it’s structured around a FIPA, which I’m assuming you have no idea what one is. There are currently over 2400 FIPA’s between nations all over the globe and they exist so that trade partners have standards and obligations in place to uphold which are chosen beforehand, and are legally binding. Before this agreement, (which by the way…they’ve been working on since NINETEEN-EIGHTY-F%*#ING-NINE), Canada would be at the mercy of the China governments laws, or which ever government they were dealing with, which obviously presents a lot of risk. Which is why these FIPAs are in place; combined with the investment obligations contained in Canada’s free trade agreements, they provide protection for approximately 60% of the outward investment of Canadian businesses.

    By the way, notice how FIPA’s was plural?! To date, Canada has 21 FIPAs in force (with Russia, Poland, Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, Argentina, Hungary, Ukraine, Latvia, Philippines, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Ecuador, Egypt, Romania, Venezuela, Panama, Thailand, Armenia, Uruguay, Lebanon, Costa Rica and Croatia).

    Know what you’re talking about before going off like some left wing radical nut job. Pull your head out of your ass…it’s not a hat.

    Yeah, you read it here…first.

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    1. None of the countries we had (notice that past-tense) FIPA’s with were COMMUNIST REGIMES with the worst human rights records in the world. Banter that back and forth in the big space between your ears.

      And this FIPA doesn’t allow for equal business opportunities as it must under trade regulations, (if Harper hasn’t scrapped that yet) where Canada can go into China and manipulate their resources or demand we only use our own citizens or not follow the laws of the host country… the commies wouldn’t allow that to happen, and nor should we.

      Yep, these are surely the right people to NOT do business with.
      and you heard that here first, and don’t forget it.

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      1. Andrew,
        While I recognize the value of FIPA trade agreements most people( voters) dont like the way this particular one is being implemented.
        The secrecy, the rush to have it implemented, the refusal of politicians to discuss it in any meaningful way.
        It reminds be of the HST here in BC.
        It was rammed through after the govt ran on a reelection platform promising that it wouldnt be implemented. It was very poorly “sold” to the public due to almost no discussion and a percieved (fairly or not) arrogance of the politicians involved. Thus it has gone down to defeat in a referendum. While it is still in place it further reinforces the voting publics loathing of all things Liberal.

        It seems that most political parties seem to expect , or count on , voter apathy these days.
        While voters may not “go to the polls”( and that says more about the quality of our choices these days than the apathy of voters) with any great zest.
        So when an issue that just stinks to high heaven waltzs into being( or Law).

        Hell hath no fury like a voter scorned!

        Mr Harper will do well to consider the long term electorial ramifications of this trade agreement. The percieved arrogance, the secrecy, the speed of implementation…All these factors have alienated the voters of this country. 4 years may seem like a long time to the next election but its just a blip in the life of a political party. Stephen Harper may well go down in History as the Prime Minister that presides over a worse election debacle than his personal friend and confidant……..Brian Mulroney

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        1. What pray tell is the “benefit” you recognize in this agreement that escapes the rest of us?

          Mulroney was just in the paper not long ago saying we are a decade away from “Free Trade” with China.

          As others have pointed out, here is what you wont see, Canadian companies exploiting the oil and gas resources of China for Canadian gain.

          Moreover, China already has significant holdings in Canada, you cannot go anywhere or by anything that is not made in China, so how exactly does this agreement change any of that? Where are the benefits and for whom?

          What this agreement does is lock in Chinese SOE investments for a generation or more. And if a subsequent government wants out, it takes a year’s notice, and any and all investments that occurred during the time the agreement was in place the terms of the agreement apply for a further 15 years after termination of FIPA.

          And the horrors do not stop there.

          The agreement is called the Foreign Investment Protection and PROMOTION Agreement. So we have to not only protect but promote foreign investment under the terms which include a whole host of stuff people have not yet talked about in terms of favoured nation treatments and on and on it goes, leaving open broad translation that could in effect be carried over to other foreign investments and investors not covered under agreements like NAFTA to level the playing field.

          Moreover, given that this agreement was 15 years in the making it means there has literally been a conspiracy to keep it silenced as no one talked about it before now. Folks my age will remember we defeated the MAI because WE KNEW ABOUT IT, long before it was up for ratification, however with FIPA no one heard about it, despite their being a whole host of transparency and outreach processes involving stakeholders some of which involved Environmental NGOs who had an entire three phase, multi- year EA process, we heard nothing about including a 30 day time period for input from the general public. Why would ENGOS sign up thousands for the zombie Enbridge proposal JRP sellout EA, yet do nothing and say nothing and tell no one about this one?

          Why would Harper sign it in some odd corner of the world on the same day Baird announced we were pulling out of Iran and sending their diplomats home, making a huge distracting news splash on the same day, when there was no other apparent reason to do so?

          This thing stinks and reeks of corruption of the highest order.

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        2. Keith, good points.
          The FIPA agreement is a Canadian creation that has been implemented hundreds of times over the years and lock BOTH partners( South American mines, African mines, Chinese factories,etc. for example) in the agreement to binding rules and regs which can be argued in the World Court. This particular agreement is a 15 year agreement with a 1 year notice “opt out” clause. If both partners agree it at the end of the 15 year agreement it “rolls over” for another 15 years. Hence the 30 year agreement that the media have been filling the airwaves with.
          China has hundreds of billions of foriegn investment dollars (US , Canadian, Euro) pumped into their economy in factories. The foriegn investor take huge risks when they dump their money into a country that may “change its mind” at a later date( for example; Venezula and its nationalized oil reserves) This is a risk for the foriegn investor.
          Chinas’ only resource is its people, they are not energy self sufficient ( as their massive investment into Global warming coal fired power plants will attest) and the massive amounts of money that they have generated over the past decade. Billions of dollars in , Billions of dollars out. Would you rather they start buying Canada Savings Bonds? That wouldnt be illegal. The Chinese investment in US Treasury Bills(US Debt) has reached frightening levels.
          BUT even China is feeling the pinch. Factories are now closing and opening in countries like Vietnam where wages are even cheaper.
          China, like any other fiscally prudent country, is looking around at ways to “spread the risk” and disperse its money. Their investments in creating African “mega farms” to ensure a secure supply of food for their country. Their trades with Brazil, Russia, Europe. All designed to ensure food and fuel is sufficient for their needs. Mao must be spinning in his grave at their “capitalist ways” but they either do this or the average poor person of China ( of which there are about 700 million) will revolt and tear the country and its corrupt Communist system apart .
          I agree with you that the secrecy of the trade negotiations, the way it was announced, the way its being implemented, entire thing smells.
          Its poltical suicide for Harper.

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        3. Its actually Kevin,

          That said i am well aware that a number of these agreements exist, but I talking specifically about this one.

          The reason is was done in “secret” which clearly it was not, however there was obviously a bold attempt to downplay it, by many stakeholders, is because its sucks for us.

          Here is some anecdote to the one relevant point you make, this FIPA thingy virtually ensure CNOOC Nexxen (that said it is possible that Harper axes that too, but then the floodgates open after that, trust me its a trend of Harpers threaten and rescue style, he positions well on high profile issues, then all the subsequent true intent of the policy making goes on under the radar, SEE Enbridge for this example, while the never ending Enbridge carries on he has used it to rewrite the entire legislative framework for every future oil and gas development and we have seen approval several other pipelines with the intent to export dilbit but I digress) the point here is that had CNOON Nexxen came down the pipe after FIPA, and a version of it may if this one gets killed and many more are in the “pipeline” just waiting for this stuff to come down, we will see that through the CNOOC deal withnexxon Chinese SOES will get controlling interehighly st of Syncrude, which has been bullt on billions of dollars of Canadian taxpayer subsidy.

          This thing is ugly and fraught with highly competetitive strategies that are obfuscated in the newspapers and by governments, we have no clear idea what the real agenda is, just the trends and whatever tidbits interested and sophisticated researchers can dig up.

          The MA market has always been that way, the Tarsands is a feeding frenzy especially now that all the poiciies to ensure massive corporate wealth at the expense of Canadians is in place.

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  6. Politicians enjoy recieving letters for the most part, so they can say they received “X” amount of letters. Same for emails.

    Christy states in this letter that in February, her government welcomed the annoucement of the FIPA negotiations.

    Well, what more can I say?

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    1. Probably more accurate to say they enjoy receiving letters they agree with or offer good photo ops. For too many are claiming that they have seen no evidence to support views opposed to theirs even though in many case I am well aware they have been provided the evidence.

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      1. Which brings to mind the questions….exceedingly important since the NDP have the best chance at a majority in BC next election….

        What is the BC NDP’s official stance on this agreement?

        And this is not the time to turn a blind eye to any party’s stance. Not now, not ever.

        If you are an NDP or Conservative supporter, you need to really analyze the party policies NOW… not later.

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        1. Used to support the NDP nut am now beginning to think NDP stands for No Damn Policy. If one wants them to have a policy on this or any other matter we have to tell them what it is. Far to many NDPers are more focused on getting elected in what they expect to be a coronation. I’ll probably vote for them in May only because the alternative are even worse than them.

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  7. So apparently this doesn’t pass moderation, because its fact based instead of inflammatory:

    Are you joking?! This is in no way a damning document. It’s simply an opening speech saying welcome, let’s talk. It speaks of no specific trade or issue, and has NOTHING to do with Enbridge. Simply it’s structured around a FIPA, which I’m assuming you have no idea what one is. There are currently over 2400 FIPA’s between nations all over the globe and they exist so that trade partners have standards and obligations in place to uphold which are chosen beforehand, and are legally binding. Before this agreement, (which by the way…they’ve been working on since NINETEEN-EIGHTY-F%*#ING-NINE), Canada would be at the mercy of the China governments laws, or which ever government they were dealing with, which obviously presents a lot of risk. Which is why these FIPAs are in place; combined with the investment obligations contained in Canada’s free trade agreements, they provide protection for approximately 60% of the outward investment of Canadian businesses.

    By the way, notice how FIPA’s was plural?! To date, Canada has 21 FIPAs in force (with Russia, Poland, Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, Argentina, Hungary, Ukraine, Latvia, Philippines, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Ecuador, Egypt, Romania, Venezuela, Panama, Thailand, Armenia, Uruguay, Lebanon, Costa Rica and Croatia).

    By the way, not letting all views air their opinions is censorship, the exact thing I’m sure you hate the Harper government for doing…

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    2. You and Lew are so obviously Christy supporters and PR damage control, it makes my tummy hurt from laughing so hard!!!

      First..let me give you a few tips.

      Know your enemy.

      As a matter of fact, although I do not post my resume,degree’s, or professional designations/certifications …. I do know what a FIPA is, and have the legislated financial designations to also understand the implications… do you?

      Specifically, I personally, as a proactive and concerned Canadian, have a massive issue with this particular FIPA with a specific country whose human rights records, whose cyber-espionage records and strategic foreign acquisitions read like a manual for flanking the US as the most potent world competitor/enemy.

      Shall we carry one? Because if you want to go there, I will…

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      1. Oh hell no. I’m not a Christy Clark supporter. She was the BC Liberals version of Sarah Palin, a too-late hail mary pass that will fail miserably. (To give credit, CC has some awareness of wtf is going on around her. Although she has the Romney flip-flop gene too…)

        I am however a tax-paying citizen like yourself. BC needs to remain open for business. Now not all business proposals should be accepted, such as the Enbridge pipeline. I’m vehemently against it. But it doesn’t mean we should be cutting off all trade options with a superpower.

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        2. Andrew, you’re vehemently against the Enbridge pipeine, but support a FIPA that takes away any power we have to stop it. WTF??? Do you have any clue?

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        3. About as much as our premier….. I hear that instead of watching for bears prowling for food in Whistler this weekend, the city issued a cougar alert instead 🙂

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    1. You are right, it’s not been a secret to the government…. but the people havent been aware of it, nor did the full implications of this deal become known widely until recently. That’s why we need to share this and make sure everyone is fully aware of what this premier and her government is supporting.

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      1. The point here is a little broader than look there was a news story when signed in Russia! lol That same day, Baird announced he was throwing Iranian diplomats out of Canada, and shuttering our Iranian embassy and oddly enough, that story got huge headlines and all sorts of international play…. hmmmmmm… there was no apparent reason to do any of that stuff then, but when you do prewar manevuers such as that it gains a lot of attention, and buries stories like this one.

        Moreover, its a deal that has been in the works for fifteen years. It involved all sorts of outreach, to and with organizations that are constantly in our face about these issues. But not a word from them, why would Forest Ethics and Dogwood sign up thousands for the zombie Enbridge EA, and not one for the FIPA EA? Not only that why stay silent? Do nothing, say nothing? For fifteen years? The EA itself was a three phrase multi year thingy, with open forum for input from the General Public, but the General Public never knew about it and there was no input.

        So secret is not necessarily the right word here, instead, conspiracy is the word. Yup, but no tin foil hat required. Stakeholders of all sorts, who are mandated to protect our rights and forward our interests did and said nothing on purpose.

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        1. There is other little tidbit i forgot.

          The final text of the agreement was not released, until well after it was signed!

          Yeah…. what was signed by the PM in Russia, was text no one else was able to see until days if not weeks afterwards.

          See Elizabeth Mays press conferences she called on this for further details about how Harper moved to ensure no debate and ratification away from the hosue of commons.

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  11. Laila, what is wrong with you? I can’t stand Christy Clark or the BC Liberal Party and am furious about the fact that Harper has signed this rotten deal without debate. I spend a great deal of time on FOI requests trying to find out what these characters and their parasitic friends are doing to this province. A Christy Clark supporter??? I’ll tell you who has a sore tummy from laughing, and that’s anyone who knows me and reads that ridiculously inaccurate statement.

    Look. All I’m pointing out is that you posted that letter from BCChristy as if you had some kind of scoop and she has been trying to hide her support of the deal. That simply isn’t true. She has a lot to answer for and isn’t qualified to be anywhere near the Premier’s office, but she hasn’t tried to hide her support for that deal.

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    1. She hasn’t tried to hide it Lew, but she hasn’t really made news of it either… which happens a lot with this group. Issue a press release late on a Friday afternoon usually,preferably there would be a long weekend on the Monday following, which allows all of it to pass by quite un-noticed by those going about their typical weekend business.

      Government banks on releasing potentially “bad” news for them, on Fridays, releasing “good” news on Mondays or early in the week to allow maximum potential for working those ops.

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      1. I agree with Laila. Like Mitt Romney, Clark is a waffler and a pretender. When it comes to the egregious stuff, she will conceal or rejig her support. On Enbridge she’s been flopping this way and that like a dying fish. Everybody knows she wants that rotten pipeline, but since it’s not popular with citizens she’s taking the safe route and pretending she is “concerned”. Clark would sell her grandmother for a few quick bucks and the top job. Today the National Post is running a story on Clark saying “women are too busy” to support her. The only great thing about Clark is her utter incompetence in public. Even the people who want to support her are having to swallow their bile.

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        1. Women are indeed busy… but shes so bloody insulting. Hell, I do this in between my family commitments etc,and making dinner and everything else. Which is why I have so little respect for her antics, like most other women. We get how facetious she is, how insincere, how gratuitous and opportunistic her actions are.
          Yes,we women are too busy,for certain… to pay attention to her nonsense in particular.

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    1. Very impressive. You sure have a way with words, Koot. How about using some of them to get specific with your objections? I mean, calling me an asshole and telling me to fuck off is really manly and all, but before my fight or flight instinct kicks in I’d like to know what I’m up against. What specifically have I said that you take issue with?

      By the way it’s Laila’s living room, and until she asks me to leave I’ll be sticking around.

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      1. Lew, big question here for all of this. While I feel great chagrin at not finding this previously, considering my intense interest in the Canadian governments interest(vice-versa) in China, I wonder why… if you have seen this letter before,along with others…. why you would not bring this immediately to the attention of others like myself, or Gus who has written the premier warning her about this deal or any other person so involved?

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        1. Laila, I guess you’ve answered your own question. You have an intense interest in the topic, and conduct extensive research on it. Gus is an expert who is in contact with the government on this file. I look to you and people like him for my information. Why would I “immediately” bring something to your attention when it is on the government’s website, readily available on the internet, and BCChristy spoke at the bloody summit here in Vancouver? There’s no way she can deny (and hasn’t tried as far as I know) that she is in support of the deal. I suppose I was just surprised that you were surprised.

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        2. Gus was not aware of this letter before today either, which was brought to my attention by email. And yes, did I miss this? Definately. But in my defense, I don’t get paid for this blog,which is done in my free time… whereas the official opposition of BC has researchers and paid employees who – one would think – would be on top of this. Where are they ? Oh…wait… this was on a government site, available to the public and they didnt have it either. I am not surprised at all that she is in favour… I was surprised the proof was there all along and no one brought it forward when it was clear this might have massive implications for BC. In particular with respect to what this means for Enbridge.

          Acceptable that I with my commitments would miss this… not so much for those paid to be the official opposition in BC….

          Now here I am. Accepting and admitting my failure to the people of BC for not seeing this.

          And where are the BC NDP? I don’t know……

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  14. Fine work, as always, Laila. I an another proactive and concerned Canadian who has a massive issue with this particular FIPA. I am certainly not surprised to learn that Ms. Clark supports its ratification and implementation, but your blog was the first place that I’ve seen this. Thanks for posting it.

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    1. Thank me not Coral, but I appreciate your words of support. I did miss the boat here, completely and for that I am remorseful. People do count on myself and others for this info and this totally got right by me. That being said, you are totally right I have not seen this anywhere, written about or reported on with context to the meaning of this agreement.

      Share. Share and share.

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      1. You didn’t miss the boat completely or otherwise, Laila. You can’t be everywhere, and you are fighting the good fight as best you can and that’s what counts. We’re all better for your efforts. That letter just proves what everybody already knows, and doesn’t change anything unless BCChristy tries to do a 180 and say she never supported the deal. Lesson learned for me is as you say; share, share, and share some more. No one of us can be everywhere.

        And you’re bang-on about the NDP on this. They make noises designed to make it look like they’ve taken certain positions, but there isn’t really a firm commitment when you look closely. As I’ve pointed out before, the NDP as a party or any one of their MLAs could have done what van Dongen did re intervenor status but didn’t. I’m even starting to wonder how firm the commitment is to hold a BC Rail inquiry. Pressure must be put on them to put it in writing, or I fear they’ll let it go after they get in.

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  15. It’s unfortunate that Clark doesn’t have the ethics or the courage to open the Legislature. It’s very easy to get one’s way – which is very much NOT what Canadians want – by not having to be accountable and answer questions. Her actions are disgraceful and more importantly, not democratic. Ten’s of thousands of letters and emails were directed to pm harper to stop this unconstitutional act. Without having to face Canadians and British Columbians, Clarks unethical and cowardly behavior is basically giving BC’s economy and environment to China. There will be NO jobs for Canadians as China, with harper’s grace, bring their temporary foreign workers. Wages in BC WILL be forced down as the temporary foreign workers, again with harper’s grace, need only be paid 15% of the going rate for a designated job. But, keep in mind the disregard of human rights of the Chinese Govt’. Do you really think they are going to keep that law, considering that they will have been given carte blanche via harper and the investor state in this agreement? Our environment WILL be destroyed and China will be able to British Columbians if we protest against the destruction and affect China’s profits. This will last for upwards of 31 YEARS!!! And further to this, is this not a threat to Canada’s and BC’s National Security signing an agreement of this nature. Even CSIS has warned of China. Please watch; Chinagate: the Greatest Theft in Post-Canadian History http://youtu.be/RYFY4fkWyvc

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    1. Clark? Christy Clark? Ethics? Courage? … I think she dropped out of U before those topics were covered!

      Bang on, with most points. How foolish for this government… and any provincial government… to support something without fully understanding the implications. In fact, it makes her position on Enbridge all that more ridiculous!

      Fadden wasn’t being facetious when talking about politicions under influence of foreign governments. He was indeed letting many know they were being watched. It’s unfortunate they seem to be able to do anything to stop it.

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  16. Laila. I thank you for posting this. This is the first place I have seen it. To be honest, I am absolutely floored that it is being welcomed!!! I think my beliefs are somewhere in between you, Lew, and Andrew. I don’t have any particular political affiliation. I tend to be one of the guys that votes for the party that lies the least, which these days is hard to figure out who I should be supporting. However, this particular FIPA scares me.
    I’m not particularly educated on a lot if politics but I can spot a bad apple when I see it. If this deal really does give china the power to take us to court outside of Canada’s legal system, that in itself tells me that it should be thrown out!! If it gives Enbridge even one more inch towards pushing the northern gateway through, strike 2.
    I think my biggest problem is that it isn’t being publicized or debated in any way shape or form. The fact that it is being done behind closed doors with a foreign country with a track record, as you stated above, is extremely sad.
    Can anyone tell me for sure that this really is selling us down the river? Does it really give the Chinese as much power as what is being publicized? Does it give Enbridge (and the Chinese) the power to push this pipeline down our throats, like it or not? Do we have a recourse? Can they really take us to an unnamed court and sue BC for billions? Where can I find any info on this.

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    1. You are welcome Mike. I don’t have any political leaning.. years ago, I did fully support the NDP, but I’ve never been a member of any party, nor will I ever be one. I think you are right on in voting for whomever lies the least – what else can you do?

      Everything that has been written about this deal is correct. I have posted links, in this post below, and it is well worth reading each of them. https://lailayuile.com/2012/10/20/all-warfare-is-based-on-deception-hence-when-able-to-attack-we-must-seem-unable-when-using-our-forces-we-must-seem-inactive-when-we-are-near-we-must-make-the-enemy-believe-we-are-far-a/

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  17. Last night I composed a letter to the editor of my local newspaper about this very thing, Laila. I was prompted to do this by ‘sumofus.org’, who sent me an e-mail outlining what you have posted here. If we all send a letter to our local newspapers, perhaps our voices will be heard and we can do something to stop Harper from locking us into this terrible deal with China.

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    1. I think yes, do write as many letters to the editors as possible. But also call oiur elected officials offices and leave messages, share with friends and neighbours etc… there are a variety of links out there to get your opposition out.

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  18. Christy is a traitor to Canada. One step closer to pushing the population towards a full scale revolution. Christy was never voted in, Harper was voted for by a small percentage of the population and he even had to cheat to get in.
    There is obviously a conspiracy of these people that call themselves the ‘Elite’. Democracy does not exist anymore, it has been hi-jacked and we as Canadians and world citizens must organize and do something about it.
    Oh, Christy you are a fox in a pretty body but your mind is warped by monetary greed. You don’t give a hoot about those families and future generations. Go take a walk in the woods and find yourself.

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  19. Laila Yuile is one of the Best Political sites on line. Laila, does her homework, and she calls em as she sees it!!! I am an avid follower of Politics, and NO WHERE have we seen Christy Clark fess up to the people of BC that she is in full support of FIPA, and the China Trade Deal. Not once did we hear of Christy supporting the Oil Pipeline, or is her five point demands, just smoke and mirrors that the people of BC should have been able to read through—or, maybe the message that the people of BC should have gotten it was—-when Christy held a fund-raiser in Calgary for the Liberals, and her biggest request was to the Oil Companies for money. Or, was it, when she was conveniently absent during the Pipeline Protests, Im sure that could have been a broad hint as to who she supports. We have known since the Days of Gordon Campbell, that Christy just took up the Gordon Legacy and carries on to this Day. Gordon in a skirt, as she is identified as. So, you are pissed that Laila has provided a letter, that tells the people of BC once and for all, exactly who Christy stands for, I suggest you not kill the messinger!
    A few years ago, the Huge Corporations begain almalgamating all over the World. It was with interest that I watched and wondered what their purpose and intent was. These Conglomerates then begin filtrating into different countries. They bought off the Politicians, or put their own people into POWER. They then changed the Labour Code, and The Environmental Laws. They went into many different countries and depleted them of their natural resources, and put the masses of people into poverty. They stripped the countries bare, leaving behind nothing but devestation and paid no Taxes. These Conglomerates have no loyalty to anyone, or any country. They are the 1%. So Laila Yuile, thankyou for , once and for all ,exposing Christy Clark . I think, the least she can do is hand in her resignation. And next, Stephen Harper, if the deal is so good for the people of BC why wont he discuss it in The House. People who have nothing to hide–hide nothing!!!!

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    1. Very kind Irene, you have a good, good heart. I believe with everything I have,that the only way to get rid of the rotton politicians, and those who support and manipulate them, is to expose the stories they don’t want told. Look at Quebec. They are dropping like flies now the floodgate is opened. Would be wonderful to see that happen here in BC.

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      1. Exposure is a wonderful thing! Too many Politicians have the gift of the gab, but watch for the follow through, that will tell you what they are really about. The Fiberals always talk to the Left, and act, to the Right And . by then ,in all probability, the ink will have dryed, and would there be any choice, but to follow through! I think, the only hope the NDP has of making changes is if they win the Federal Election. They have to win the Federal Election, in order for the provinces to make any kind of major changes. Otherwise, when the NDP win provincially, they always get starved out by the Federals! Elizabeth May, has some excellent policies, and I think, gaining momentum. Either of these two Parties, have yet, had the chance to prove themselves where it really starts, with Winning the Federal Election. I have that on the top of my bucket list!!!! lolololollolollo
        All the fancy ads coming out from the Fiberals is unbelievable, they really do think that the people in BC have little or no memory of thier shennanigans!
        Hell, to try and follow all the political falll out these days is insane! And all, tend to start with—once upon a time—–and the Corrupt Politicians lived happily ever after!!!!!

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        1. Hey Laila, Just to let you know, Leadnow petition has collected over 200,000 signatures protesting the China Link, and oil pipeline! Getting very interesting, and you are a big part of educating the masses. God Bless!!!!

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  20. This is nothing short of TREASON. Sad day for CANADA when our Leaders sell our people out for 30 shekels of gold.Our future generations will CURSE this generation for giving away our resources to a group of CORRUPT EFIT RULERS of an COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP !!!

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  21. Perhaps I was a little bit intemperate in my previous comment, but I’m not really taking it back either. I get a bit cheesed at trolls who defend the Reich Wing Agenda of bending over for the corporations, be they Canadian (which increasingly they ARE NOT) for NO BENEFIT to normal Canadians who can’t look forward to future positions as directors of the board or cozy lobbyist positions shilling for the same corporations they sold the country out to while in government.

    To give Laila crap for (according to you) acting like our non-elected premier’s written pledge of support for selling out BC and Canada’s interests for thirty one years is news is rude. As Laila herself said above if it is old news, why didn’t you try to make people aware of it earlier? It is pretty difficult for normal people who ARE’NT supported by the taxpayer to keep up with the ongoing assault on democracy and our resources as the attacks are virtually hourly. Let’s close a few coast guard stations today, fire some scientists monitoring fishstocks later today, and de-classify most rivers in Canada as navigable this afternoon. It is an ongoing assault on everything that Canadians hold dear and many Canadians and Americans fought for, including my own father and uncles.

    We should all be asking ourselves why Stephen Treason Harper, who couldn’t even talk to the Chinese because they were commie human rights abusers a few years ago now wants to sign on to be indentured servants for thirty one years. It is difficult to understand what is in it for you or me, so what is in it for him and his ilk?

    China, the country that shut down internet access to the New York Times this week because they published an article questioning the fact that the second in power there (the Prime Minister), born a lowly pig farmer now is part of a family worth just shy of THREE BILLION DOLLARS. Yep, free enterprise built on the backs of a coal industry that kills about thirty miners a day and factory workers that work for ninety nine cents an hour and have to be kept at work by razor wire.

    As far as I’m concerned you will be judged in the long run by not only how you do business, but who you deal with and frankly, the Hell’s Angels are more trustworthy to deal with than what passes for free enterprise in today’s version of casino “free enterprise.” Free enterprise is a good idea, too bad no body has really tried it out, socialism for the corporate elite and Darwinistic privatization for the rest of us, roughly ninety nine percent is not free enterprise, it is no more than a modern version of feudalism. And frankly, it is self defeating in the end because even if the ninety nine percent don’t rise up and kill off the overlords, their own bottom line will in the end become infinitely negative when they have all the money, because they aren’t a large enough market to support anythiing, an economy cannot survive on just the sales of Bentleys and Rolls Royces.

    So anyone who wants to defend these kind of policies and give Laila crap for not being on top of all their games can go pound sand and will be ASSHOLES in my book!

    BTW, like Laila I am not a died in the wool NDPer, though that is Reich Wingnut’s characterization of me often. I’m not that pleased with the NDP or in the US Obama and the Democratic Party. However, they are the lesser evil until we can come up with a party that is really concerned with the concerns of the normal citizen. Also a factual examination of history will show that governments to the left of what we now have in Ottawa and Victoria and Washington D.C. have actually done a better job of governing on pretty well every issue. Republicans in the US and Cons in Canada (and this includes the BC liaRs or SoCruds or whatever they call themselves this week) and even Labor in the UK have not only been better fiscal managers leaving surpluses for succeeding right wingers to squander, but even in defense have done a better job, as the US had Democratic presidents in every war they won, except for the War between the States which was led by the first Republican who couldn’t win a primary in today’s Republican Party, Abraham Lincoln. In todays ReThuglican Party Eisenhower and probably even Nixon would lose the primary to some Tea Bagger wingnut.

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    1. I’m not an NDPer at all, and I have serious misgivings about where the party will take BC, but as Rafe states, you can fix finances if they screw them up, but we cant fix the environment.. It’s clear that when the NDP are hosting fundraisers with Enbridge buying a table and courting oil and gas….there is going to be a lot of work to be done holding them to account too.

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    2. The problem with your post was not the intemperance, but the fact that other than the intemperance, there was nothing there.

      I pointed out that Clark’s support of the treaty was not news. For my troubles I was immediately branded a paid Christy Clark supporter, blamed for the fact you didn’t know about evidence in conspicuous places of the Clark government’s support (it’s also referenced in the explanatory memorandum as part of the agreement and tabled in the House), called an asshole and told to fuck off. For the record, I am a pensioner who spends most of his waking day and part of his sleepless nights thinking about how to get rid of BCChristy and her gang. A while back I complained to Laila about her use of Clark’s image on her blog because I can’t stand the sight of the woman. Also, calling me names and telling me where to go is my wife’s job. But I digress… It would be news if letters were discovered that had Christy Clark in opposition to the treaty, not the other way around.

      Sometimes the valuable information offered by a blogger is treated as an effigy, a half or completely dead body, or simply blood in the water. Immediately the subject of the offering is stomped, thrashed, burned and bitten by the waiting audience, who then for the most part sit and wait for the next post, bite each other, or move on to see what the next blogger is offering. I would like to suggest we use the information to do much more.

      Laila says we should know our enemy. I believe some of our true enemies are part of what passes these days as the fourth estate. People with names like Baldrey, Palmer, Leslie, Good, Leyne, Gailus; name your poison. Whether it’s incompetence, cowardice, sloth, knowing what side their bread is buttered, or some other reason, they are letting us down or even deliberately attempting to mislead. And their role is too important to our democratic rights to let them continue getting away with it. They are the reason you didn’t know immediately about that letter. They are the reason the details behind BC Rail, IPPs, P3s, etc. remain hidden. When we’re done kicking our daily effigy offering, we must take a few minutes, use the information, and in a focused, reasoned manner kick somebody in the fourth estate with it.

      I think we have the same goals for the most part, Kootcoot. We might differ on how to achieve them sometimes, but lest we spend too much time on each other, remember the famous Pogo quotation, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

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  22. Thanks for this, Laila.

    What is quite obvious right now is that Christy’s enthusiastic support of ratifying the Canada-China FIPA nullifies her present sly attempt to frame herself as against Enbridge and as as a protector of our province and the rights of BC citizens. Her support of FIPA ratification in fact facilitates and ENSURES the building of this pipeline…..so she can no longer use the Enbridge pipeline issue as a ploy to increase her polling numbers. This article clearly reveals her as the great pretender and the hypocrite that she really is. She simply cannot hold both positions and be credible….no matter how she tries to spin it.

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    1. Well this is why I am wondering where the BC NDP stand on this? Anyone know? Because this throws a monkey wrench into their plans as well, in my opinion.

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  23. You are one of the best Laila. No-one can take that away from you or from us.

    We have known, for quite some time now….Campbell worked for Harper, and still does. Even if he does drink. Campbell refused to resign over his drunk driving charge. Harper needed Campbell very badly, he had to do Harper’s dirty work for him. At that time, Harper didn’t quite dare to show, he was giving Canada to Red China. Harper also needed Campbell to sell our BC resources to Communist China, as well. No-one seems to remember, how upset Harper was, when Campbell was forced to resign. Harper said, Campbell did some very wonderful things for BC??? What in the hell those things were, I have no idea. My very first clue was, CSIS warned about China’s huge inroads into Canada. CSIS specifically named BC. That scared the hell out of me. All the dots then connected. Do you know who, is buying up property in Prince George? It’s the Chinese. The mines are in the north.

    This sell out to Red China, has been on the books for a very long time. Why would our Premier Campbell, ship our mills to Red China, along with our raw logs? Campbell caused his own mill people, to lose hundreds of jobs. Why did he give China our mines? Why are the Chinese taking our mining jobs? How many of the new mines are China’s? The Americans own some of the new mines. No matter, both country’s will bring their own workers.

    Americans get Canadian contracts, every time they bring their own workers. It is in our faces obvious, Christy also works for Harper. Christy had another, not too sober Conservative working for her too, Boessenkool. It was obvious Campbell was selling us out to Red China. So is Christy. She has done absolutely nothing for our BC people. She is permitting the Chinese miners, to come and take our jobs. China is going to overrun BC by the swarms, there are billions of them. BC citizens are left without jobs. BC mills are being phased out. All the raw timber will go to Red China.

    Same with Harper. He has already sold huge chunks of the tar sands to Red China. China is also taking all of the jobs, involved in the procedures and the very aspects, of extracting the dirty Bitumen. China is going to refine the ta oil very cheaply. The oil will then be sold by, the Chinese yaun instead of the dollar. Putin signed a deal with Red China, they will give China all the oil they want. China now has the lead in oil sales. Our cheap dirty Bitumen is cheap….China makes a lovely profit. China expects to be, the world currency within ten years.

    Harper has cheated again. He had to stall the riding disputes, until he could get his own Conservative judges installed. The court ruled, the Etobicoke null and void. Harper’s judges overruled the first judges decision.

    Same with Harper’s robo-call cheat. He got rid of Corbett of Elections Canada, and installed his own boy, Yves Corte. More than a few members of Elections Canada, refused to participate in the corruption. Some of them resigned, Corbett was pushed out.

    This country is gone. The only politicians that aren’t involved, in China’s take over of Canada, is Elizabeth May and her Green Party.

    In case anyone hasn’t noticed, all the party’s in BC have said nothing about China’s takeover either. Not even the NDP. Not one of the party’s said boo, about China hacking into other country’s secret files. No-one said boo about, China selling infected electronic components to other country’s. U.S. missiles and other weapons, had infected components purched from Red China. China’s belligerent aggression is showing around the globe. Other country’s are kicking China out of their lands. Harper brings that country, right onto our Canadian soil.

    Still think BC should stay in Harper’s Canada? We are far too late anyway. We BC people can’t fight the Red Army, over their Enbridge pipeline. Yes, rumor has it, China will own the Enbridge pipeline.

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  24. I am going to ask this question here. Asked it elsewhere and got roundly chewed out. Does any one besides me wonder if all those painted Chinese warrior statues have something to do with the fact we are trying to sell oil to China? I mean we used to have whales and bears…

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    1. Interesting, protests in China are becoming more and more prevalent.
      There were 188,000 REPORTED protests in China last year.
      In a country that calls populations of less than 100,000 people “villages” one can only imagine the size of the average protest must be 1000 people or more.
      China wanted prosperity to keep its people in check……well they have it now.
      With the proliferation of the internet and cell phones.
      The population is waking up and more vocal than ever.
      Govt corruption is the number one complaint of the Chinese citizenry.
      Hmmm sounds familiar dont it?
      The next 5 years in China could bring either the most exciting political changes towards democracy seen in a world class country in almost a century OR the most violent crackdowns since the Red Guard purges in almost 50 years…….

      Stay tuned because it wont be boring.

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      1. It would be wonderful to see real freedom, real democracy in China.

        I think people really do forget this is still a communist party governing,and in fact the only time even travellers are reminded of this is when a story hits the news of someone being imprisoned, or disappearing.. which does happen to people who are seen as becoming too inspiring to the movements for democracy. Activists often flee to avoid persecution, or they end up in one of the aforementioned situations… http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Human+rights+group+Christian+Bale+honour+blind+Chinese+activist+with/7442754/story.html is an example.

        We must question why Harper’s attitude and former concern over human rights issues in China seem to have all been pushed aside in his increasing zest to allow such large deals to occur in Canada that have long lasting implication for our sovereighnty and control over our technology and our resources. The US DOD is looking at the Cdn government like they have rocks in their head – Harper and crew have ignored every warning issued about allowing Chinese state connected companies such free reign.

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        1. From a friend :

          Read the last line ” ….China needs African resources to sustain it’s domestic economy, and the projects in Africa provide a destination for excess Chines labour ….”

          http://www.businessinsider.com/map-chinese-investments-in-africa-2012-8

          hina is moving it’s leather tanning, cotton mills and other labour intensive industries to Africa. They can no longer sustain the environmental harm and human health cost of these industries in China. So, move it to Africa. As well, extract all the oil, cut down the forests, dig up the ground, leave toxic mine tailings, pollute the rivers. Breath deeply Africa, it’s good for you! they never protected Chinese in the last 30 years, why would they protect Africans.

          I am sure there is a secret labour agreement with China to allow miners, loggers, oil patch workers and what ever else they are able to get their hands on.

          Click on the ghost cities at the bottom of the article. Despite what is claimed, they have built them to house the Chinese colonial administration and future labour. The one limiting factor at present is housing. Chinese workers will not live like Africans.

          Soon Canada’s economic well being will be dependent on our cooperation with China. We will have lost control at that point.

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        2. Also see how china is building refineries in the Middle East, in particular Saudi Arabia, however, the policy in Canada has been, so far, with any of their Tar sands investments, they are contingent on no refining capacity to be built here.

          This is not common knowledge as everyone prefers to live in the fairy tale land mainstream media, government and NGOs are creating for us, but people really need to dig deeper.

          There is a whole behind the scenes agenda at play, starting with EPIC and its drive to implement the corporate agenda on oil and gas in Canada, and the controlled opposition hand picked by Harper, and their publsihed “Energy Vision” just as EPICs Vision is published as well.

          All of the changes we have seen established by Harper with respect to Environmental Assessments and the DFO etc, in fact the entire legislative framework related to oil and gas development was drafted over at EPICs shop, long before they were made into law. Yet you never read about David Emerson and his shop driving the whole agenda.
          Sad really

          See here.
          http://thecanadian.org/itemlist/user/86-kevinlogan
          Scroll to bottom and read up.

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        3. Interesting Blog. I’ve saved it in “favourites”. Will start reading it when I have more time.

          As for the statement about no new refineries being built in Canada…..
          I recall reading somewhere that there havent been any new refineries built anywhere in the US and Canada in over 25 years due to most 1st world oil refineries lose money. Dont know if that statement is bs.
          Apparently the profit margins and the legislative guidelines dont make it worth while to construct a multi billion dollar refinery that wont be a big vote getter..
          There is also the NIMBY (not in my back yard) factor.
          While everyone in a high unemployment area would love the jobs a refinery would bring…. ) No one wants the short and long term pollution, the view, the noise and the stench.
          And speaking from personal experience ( I grew up living behind a refinery in eastern Canada ). Who the hell wants THAT in their back yard…….

          So we either, leave the Tar sands where they sit.
          Dig it up, mix it with high pressure, high temp, liquid toxins to allow it to flow through a pipeline to the coast to ship the ‘goo” to China
          Or dig it up, refine it here and then ship a slightly less toxic goo to China.

          Glad Im not the one that has to make that descision.

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        4. Excellent point and yes,Rafe and Damiens site is a really good, tell it like it is resource of facts, science, opinions and politics.

          of course, you forgot the option that Romney prefers,which is to ship all the goo to the US. If you recall, he even stated he would support Harper’s stripped down environmental regulations and review process IF Canada gave the goo to them instead of China.

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        5. Also see this fine blog where I wrote some details about the FIPA awhile back

          http://richardhughes.ca/politics/the-real-threat-is-in-harpers-gutting-the-legal-and-regulatory-framework-for-oil-and-gas/

          I have been calling attention to this for weeks now. I have communicated serious concerns about the details on the day it was announced Harper signed it, I manage to find the story among all the bullshit Baird rolled out with respect to pulling out of Iran and sending the Iranian diplomats out of Canada which got a huge international splash, and over shadowed the one or two clips about the signing out of the FIPA in some unknown corner of Russia.

          At that time there text was not released, only that it was signed by the PM, I drew attention to that fact and once again hit the fact that BC can already be sued for stopping projects like Enbridge under the terms of the TILMA agreement. I write more about this in the blog I posted above. At the time I called for a review of all these trade agreements we face. TILMA, NAFTA, CEAA, TPP, FIPPA, among others need to be fully explored in order to understand how the overlapping terms of these agreements essentially leave us legally stranded and helpless on our land, completely stripped of our sovereignty rendering our “representative” government completely neutered and our parliamentary democracy absolutely dysfunctional and without purpose and of no use to average Canadians for anything other than a house of piss poor theatre.

          Then a few days after that Elziabeth May called a press conference and started talking about this thing and what it means. The rest is history.

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  26. One aspect of this deal with China that seems missing in this discussion is the consequence of what Premier Clark has done by giving the governemt of Canada the authority to sign on the province’s behalf. Apparently this relinquishement of provincial soverignty, once given as was recently done, cannot be subsequently recovered. If my understanding is correct we in BC have just had our Premier give away a lage part of our provincial and personal soverignty that came with our constitution.
    It is very difficult to think the Premier did so without knowing this ahead of time which in my books makes her action a seditious one.

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    1. Two great links to read, a new one out today by Rafe on this very issue, and this letter, and our premier…. and this quote kills me because Rafe really gets right to the crux of it:

      “In short, by agreeing to this treaty, she has, for the length of the contract, surrendered our right to exercise our constitutional rights.

      Why did Premier Clark do this?

      We can’t overlook the fact that she may just be too stupid to understand what she has done. One hates to say this sort of thing but this is surely an option we must consider, remembering Mair’s Axiom One which states, “You make a very serious mistake assuming that people in charge know what the hell they’re doing.”

      http://thecanadian.org/item/1788-premier-clark-supports-canada-china-trade-deal-abandons-bc-constitutional-rights-fipa-rafe-mair

      And this one from CBC, five things you need to know about this deal

      http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/10/27/pol-the-house-fippa-with-china.html

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      1. When you consider the angle Rafe takes here, there is mounting evidence that this government is indeed treasonous. I cant believe I am saying that, but its perfectly clear.

        This letter, is well, just a letter, but Rafe does make a good point.

        The equivalency agreement is the smoking gun in my opinion. Its a legal document, signed in secret by devolving ministerial powers to high level staff. A sheer and clear act of treason which involved abandoning our rights and our sovereignty to our oily overlords.

        Its this stuff of novels.

        Absolutely insane.

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  27. Don’t worry everyone, according to a helpful fact sheet for doing business in China supplied by the feds “The Communist Party of China Is Your Friend” ( unless you start asking them about human rights or promoting democratic change that is..) and “Need Cash? There is a Chinese Person Named Wang Who Wants to Give You Some.” ( wow, I don’t even know what to say about that header!! So, so… offensive!)

    http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/document.jsp?did=129204&cid=512&oid=32

    And then there is this really interesting interview between a Chinese television network and Stockwell Day, posted on the Highlights page on a fed government site…. that is only available in Chinese ? Here is a text version of the interview translated http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&gs_nf=3&cp=59&gs_id=a&xhr=t&q=http://fangtan.china.com.cn/2012-08/27/content_26340984.htm&pf=p&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&oq=http://fangtan.china.com.cn/2012-08/27/content_26340984.htm&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=e8398791132636e1&bpcl=35466521&biw=1600&bih=797

    And even though Harper is marching this through as quickly as he can without any debate or input…… they are actually accepting comments on the Final Environmental Assessment for this agreement unitl November 11th. http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/china-chine/finalEA-pub-EEfinale.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

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  28. The premier has offered her own bizarre take. What with “preparing meals” and “helping their kids with their homework,” she has said, women don’t have time to think much about politics. They’ll say what they have to say to get suppertime telephone canvassers off their backs. “Women are very, very busy — focused on work and our family lives and paying the bills at home,” she told reporters on Saturday, when asked why women aren’t more supportive of her. They’ll come around once the election draws nearer, she thinks.

    Notice the Grade 12 unelected preemie includes herself in this ‘….focused on work and OUR family lives…..’
    Of course if you get an overpaid taxpayer funded job, then an overpaid CKNW job and then again another overpaid taxpayer funded job complete with a platinum pension plan and marry a multi-millionaire….it would be, again, impossible to believe anything she says.
    Jean

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