Letter to Prime Minister Harper: Work for Just Trade Relations for All

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

We are representatives of Canada’s churches, and members of MESA, a tri-national coalition of religious organizations from Canada, the United States and Mexico working for just trade.

We write you in advance of your summit with Presidents Bush and Calderón this August to urge you to use this opportunity to promote just trade relationships.

We welcome the renewed commitment that your government has made to strengthening ties with our continental neighbours. However, we are concerned that these new initiatives, including the Security and Prosperity Partnership, may replicate the harmful effects of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) model.

We are troubled that the Canadian government is seeking to emulate the NAFTA model with other continental trading partners without first conducting a thorough and adequate review of its impacts. We are further concerned that the Government of Canada is expanding economic integration with our Mexican and American neighbours into new and strategic domains through the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) without adequate Parliamentary participation or public input. Further harmonizing regulations in areas such as immigration, energy, natural resources and security under the present model has the potential to deepen the damaging effects of the current NAFTA model without increasing the human security or wellbeing of all people living in Canada.