Canada - China FIPA agree makes no sense

 

 

 

 

Here's a current example of a U.S. company suing the Canadian federal government under NAFTA because of provincial legislation that was passed to protect the environment. Can you imagine what it'll be like under 31 years of the Canada-China FIPA?http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ottawa-sued-over-quebec-fracking-ban-1.1140918\

 

Thanks Skeena

 

China Investment Treaty: Expert Sounds Alarms in Letter to Harper

Toronto-based authority urges PM to halt ratification, laying out numerous 'deep' concerns.

By Gus Van Harten, 16 Oct 2012, TheTyee.ca

 

[Editor's note: Gus Van Harten, a global authority on investment trade deals and international arbitration panels, has written a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper urging a full public review of a highly controversial investment and promotion treaty with China, the world's second largest economy. We publish that letter below.

 

The Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) has profound implications for Canadian labour law, environmental regulations and democratic standards. If enacted by Nov. 1, the trade promotion deal will give unprecedented powers to China's state owned enterprises (SOEs) that are now investing billions in Canada's natural resources. The 41-year-old Osgoode law professor not only teaches investment law but is also the author of Investment Treaty Arbitration and Public Law (Oxford University Press, 2007). Unlike most experts in the field of investment trade deals, Harten makes no income from the lucrative legal work of international trade arbitration. Investment trade lawyers typically make between $1,000 to $2,000 an hour.

 

Neither the prime minister nor anyone on his behalf had responded to Van Harten's letter as of 4:30 p.m. eastern time, Tuesday, Oct. 16.]

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/10/16/China-Investment-Treaty/