Despite What Harper Said At Summit, US Grabs Canadian Oil

ANALYSIS Business group sets and gets its agenda

Powerful council helping free-trade supporters win Round 3 of talks
Apr 23, 2008 04:30 AM
LINDA DIEBEL
NATIONAL AFFAIRS WRITER
The Star.com

Prime Minister Stephen Harper might have reminded the U.S. yesterday how much it depends on Canadian energy imports – and thus, on NAFTA – but he neglected to mention the onerous terms for Canada. Or that an even greater grab for northern energy continues apace, without public consultation.

Rather, elaborate machinery set up to facilitate greater "harmonization" with U.S. policy hums along, its creators coming from the most powerful conglomerates in the United States and its successes independent of such trilateral leaders' meetings as this week's confab in New Orleans among Harper, U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexico's Felipe Calderon.

There's already an energy downside for Canada. Under the terms of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, Canada can't ease up on energy exports to the U.S., even temporarily and including in times of shortage. NAFTA partner Mexico said no-go.

The NACC is big, for example, on "intellectual property" protection, notably of Hollywood and the American music industry. In a report last August, it noted the Canadian government had "made progress" in enacting legislation to impose criminal penalties for illegally recording at cinemas. However, it added: "We strongly encourage the government of Canada to show greater progress in enacting strong (intellectual property rights) laws."

Canadian organizations at a "People's Summit" in New Orleans criticized the NACC agenda, as well as security measures that have been wrapped into the SPP process. One of the most worrisome, according to Stuart Trew, researcher for the Council of Canadians, are plans for identity cards modelled on the REAL ID security system in the States.

Already, B.C. and Washington state are involved in a voluntary pilot project to develop drivers' licences that double as passports. The problem, Trew says, is "private information about Canadians will be available to Homeland Security agents in the U.S., and this is dangerous. It's a threat to the right of privacy protection of Canadians."

In contrast to Canada, however, there have been Capitol Hill hearings, accessible to the public, on the subject. Even so, the House of Representatives recently sent Bush a letter warning him to cease all SPP negotiations until full congressional oversight is in place...