New Democrats Reject The SPP

Are they going to get the Bank of Canada to create the money for their budget or are they going to borrow it from the chartered banks, letting them create the money, and signaling business as usual? I'm voting for the NDP in my riding by the way.

In addition to this, the NDP is the only party that has responded to my email about the EU trade deal that has been negotiated so far in secret by the Conservatives. (more info here http://www.canadians.org/trade/index.html) The summit begins 3 days after the election. I emailed all the candidates in my riding asking their position on this issue and for them to get back to me before election day. Nobody else replied :/ This is the email they sent me:

New Democrats concerned over secret EU trade negotiations

Thank you for your past email concerning a trade deal between the EU and Canada.

New Democrats share the concerns voiced by the Council of Canadians over any trade deal that is negotiated in secret. We firmly believe that all trade deals must come before Parliament for a full review and vote.

Another issue closely related is the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). New Democrats have spoken out against the SPP from the beginning, and when these talks picked up pace in 2007, we launched a national campaign to expose the SPP. You can read background information on the SPP negotiations at: http://archive.ndp.ca/page/5614 and http://archive.ndp.ca/stopthespp.

Highlights from Jack Layton and his team of New Democrats' plan include:

- Ceasing Canadian participation in the Liberal and Conservative-driven Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).
- Increasing diplomatic efforts, particularly in light of recent comments by the United States and Russia, to ensure that other countries respect our Arctic sovereignty.
- Transferring the Canadian Coast Guard to the Department of Public Safety and increase resources to improve its operational effectiveness, including initiatives that will better protect and strengthen our sovereignty over Canadian waters.
- Stopping the hollowing out of Canadian industries by strengthening the Investment Canada Act. Foreign takeovers of Canadian companies will be subject to more stringent tests respecting job protection and creation, head office location, and the promotion of research and development in Canada.
- Creating an economic development agency for the North.

The commitments we are putting before the people of Canada in this election are about hope and opportunity for you, your family, your friends, and neighbours. They are about a future where you come first.

We are committed to balanced budgets each and every year. Our full platform of commitments, with costing, can be found by visiting: http://www.ndp.ca/platform. Feel free to pass along our email to anyone who may be interested.

Again, we appreciate your desire for a sovereign Canada. Together, we can make it happen by voting for Jack Layton and his team of New Democrats on October 14th!

Sincerely,

Jack Layton and Canada's New Democrats

Unfortunately Layton spent more time taking about sweaters and not the SPP or deeper North American integration this election season.

Of course he has. 99.99% of the Canadian public have either never heard of SPP or NAU, or they don't believe it. To be the only one to yammer on about "things that go bump in the night" wouldn't serve the NDP in any positive form.

I completely disagree. If Layton truly feels the way this email indicates he does he was and is obligated to talk to Canadians about it at this very important time, and as much as possible, when something can actually be done about it and to stop the harm done to Canadians and Canada it will bring if Harper goes forward with it as the evidence proves he will, and even more so if most Canadians don't know what the SPP or NAU are. What you have written is not reasonable. If Layton had talked about it and allot it is very likely Canadians who do know what is going on and about the SPP and NAU would be resting allot easier at this very important time. Layton finally had the attention of the clearly pro-Harper, biased in favour of Harper media because of the election coverage and he blew this major opportunity to inform Canadians about the SPP and NAU and it must be asked why.

Had some sort of opposition surfaced in 1964 with the Gulf of Tonkin fabrication, screaming that it was a fake, whoever it was would have been (at best) poo-poohed, and at worst strung up from the proverbial yardarm. Canadians are not very good at recognizing and disasters, and need a touch of same to realise that one is in the works (NAFTA, anyone? - which even now many will deny is NOT doing the nation any good).

So, in essence, I disagree with your disagreement. As Jack is not likely to form an actual government, his best bet vis-a-vis NAU et al, is to have a strengthened opposition in a minority government, and bring it up in Parliament.

It's about informing Canadians about what is most important to them and their country, not just about what strategy will win them the election or whether or not they will win, at least not if a leader has integrity. If the issue of the SPP truly is important to Layton than he absolutely should have used this major opportunity to make great efforts to inform Canadians about it as much as possible and why it should be important to them and to encourage them to speak out against it, etc...

So many Canadians don't have a clue about the SPP or Harper's actions and intentions relating to it and I believe giving this issue far greater attention was in the best interests of Canadians and our country and would have only positively influenced the outcome of the election and made sure Harper lost. I know a young man who spent his lunch break at work informing his co-worker's about the SPP, who all had no idea about it, and then later emailed further information about it to them and literally all but one of more than a dozen said this information had influenced them to vote for sure and to vote against Harper.

If Layton had really wanted to put an end to Canada's involvement in SPP it would already have happened. Don't believe the hype. All three major party leaders are hellbent on destroying our country.