Believe In America.com

butterbean · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 2271

OTTAWA, Feb. 9 /CNW Telbec/ - North American integration will be the
primary focus of a high-level trinational meeting scheduled for February 23,
says the Council of Canadians. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and
Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff will be in Ottawa to meet with
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day,
Trade Minister David Emerson and their Mexican counterparts.
"While recent media reports have claimed that the meeting will focus on
border security," says Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of
Canadians, "we know that the goal of this meeting is to advance a much larger
corporate-led agenda for North American integration - something our government
has been very secretive about."
A September 2006 report issued by the governments of Canada, the U.S. and
Mexico stated that the upcoming meeting would take place in order to "review
progress" on the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) and "develop
concrete initiatives" in preparation for the leaders' summit expected to take
place in Kananaskis in June 2007.
"The Security and Prosperity Partnership goes beyond simply the passport
issue," says Jean-Yves Lefort, trade campaigner for the Council of Canadians.
"The agreement calls for 300 policy changes in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico and
gives wide-ranging powers to the business elite without any consideration for
the public interest or the environment."
The North American Competitiveness Council, a business advisory body to
the SPP representing North America's largest corporations, will be presenting
recommendations at the upcoming meeting.
The Council of Canadians is demanding that Canada cease all further
participation in the Security and Prosperity Partnership and that Stephen
Harper consult with Canadians in a meaningful way on Canada-U.S. relations.

For further information: Meera Karunananthan, Media Officer, (613)
233-4487 ext. 234, cell: (613) 795-8685, meera@canadians.org

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2007/09/c6604.html