Thoughts on FIPA

On Monday, October 22nd at the B.C. Legislature, I was a witness to the beginning of a social movement that may echo the Clayoquot protests of the nineties. It was a remarkable joining of forces by representatives of diverging groups from First Nations to Labour Unions, to Political Parties and Environmentalists, that all coalesced to express their defense of our beloved West Coast. We were moved, informed, and enraged, we cheered, laughed, cried, sang, jumped and shook our fists. The prospect of oil spills on our coast seems to have everyone disgusted with the politics of our time. Oil spills are the dark reality of a future that is ever more dependent on oil. Citizens are feeling frustrated that their voices are not heard in the undemocratic process that is supporting the drive for more oil. Although the main purpose of the actions on the 22nd in Victoria, and in over 70 communities throughout B.C. the 24th, was to protest the Enbridge and Kinder Morgan pipeline projects and oil expansion in general, another key issue that arose was the FIPA (Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements). Critics have labeled this agreement as ‘secretive’, since Prime Minister Harper seems determined to ratify this investment deal without debate in Parliament, without a vote, and without a transparent report made to government and the public. Even NAFTA warranted an election, which had far less impacts than the current FIPA would. Apparently, the FIPA would bind Canada to foreign corporations for 31 years, guaranteeing their profits for this period. If the Canadian government, at any level, were to create any obstacles to their investments or profits, the corporations could sue Canada for the damages that they perceive are the consequence of these obstacles. These lawsuits would be held in tribunals outside of Canada’s court system. This agreement is especially aimed at China, a country that does not have the same environmental or human rights standards as Canada, and is renowned for putting profits first. What we as Canadians have to gain from this deal is unclear. There is only one guarantee: we will be handing our tax dollars over to foreign corporations, or we will be faced with many more projects such as Enbridge or Kinder Morgan’s, where our voices of protest will be ignored. Then we can watch our landscape change indefinitely. 31 years is an entire generation of wreaking havoc on our environment and our democracy. Is this the world that we want to leave our children?