The federal NDP are echoing German officials’ apparent concerns about the Canada-European Union trade deal, the full text of which was finally released on Friday.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosted an official signing ceremony for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in Parliament’s Hall of Honour Friday morning, alongside European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council president Herman Van Rompuy.
Harper hailed the deal as a “game-changer” for both Canada and Europe, as it will give Canadian businesses access to approximately 500 million consumers in Europe, increase trade, and create thousands of jobs. Harper released the full text of the deal, all 1,500 pages of it, in both official languages Friday, nearly a year after it was first announced.
As Harper and his European guests were hailing the deal, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair was telling reporters that his party has reservations about so-called investor-state provisions, the same objections raised by German officials on Thursday.
German media reports quoted Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel saying that “we reject these investment protection rules.”
These provisions allow private corporations to sue governments, which Mulcair said can be used to stymie laws enacted by elected officials.
In his comments Friday, Mulcair used the hypothetical example of a government choosing to enact a law banning pesticides, and a pesticide manufacturer deciding to sue because of the impact the law would have on its business.
“If you try to ban a pesticide and the manufacturer decides to sue the Canadian government, instead of having the right to protect public health, the foreign company might have the right to make that determination in an international forum,” Mulcair told reporters Friday morning outside the House of Commons.
Moments before, during question period, Mulcair asked whether the federal government would consider removing these provisions from the agreement.
“Will the Conservatives finally abandon these undemocratic provisions in the CETA and get a trade deal with Europe that’s a good deal for all Canadians?” he asked.
Erin O’Toole, parliamentary secretary to International Trade Minister Ed Fast, said Mulcair “has it wrong.”
“Negotiators from Canada and the EU, including Germany, were given a clear mandate for investor-state dispute settlement to be a part of this deal, as has been the case with dozens of other deals that the EU -- and Germany -- has signed,” O’Toole said.
“This provides certainty for both countries in the event of any dispute. In a deal this big, we’re talking a $12 billion impact on our economy, and 80,000 net new jobs.”
During Friday’s signing ceremony, Barroso said he is confident that all European member states back the deal, including Germany.
“I have no doubt that the deal will be endorsed,” he said.
Despite the text’s full release on Friday, the deal is far from done. Lawyers must review the language before the deal is approved by Canada and all 28 EU member states.
Germany can’t veto the deal, CTV’s chief Parliamentary correspondent Craig Oliver said, explaining that would simply mean Germany would be left out.
However, because it is one of the world’s biggest economies, the pressure would be on to eventually get Germany on board.
During his scrum with reporters Mulcair noted that, while these investor-state provisions exist in the recently signed Canada-Korea trade agreement, which his party supports, they allow for Canada to withdraw with six months’ notice.
The provisions in the EU deal lock Canada in for 20 years, he said.
“We’ll keep pouring over it over the weekend,” Mulcair said of the deal. “But where things stand now, we’re very reticent.”
