Globe and Mail: Tories hope TPP deal is signed before election campaign kickoff

Amidst the final stages of the TPP talks in Hawaii, the government is hoping to reach an agreement before the election campaign kickoff expected to start on Sunday. It's never been more important to send a message to the trade ministers and tell them to say NO to TPP. Send your message now at StoptheSecrecy.net  Article by the Canadian Press for the Globe and Mail

The Conservatives are anxiously hoping to sign off on a massive free-trade deal before kicking off an election campaign that’s expected to start as early as Sunday.

The federal government is at the negotiating table in Hawaii, where Trans-Pacific Partnership talks are reportedly in their final stages.

With voting day set for Oct. 19, the governing Tories want to launch the campaign with the deal in hand — an agreement they could brandish as evidence of their economic stewardship.

The partnership, a pact between 12 countries including Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Japan, is poised to become the biggest trade deal in history once ratified.

Experts say if the talks continue after the start of the campaign, they could prove politically sensitive for the government.

In particular, Canada is under pressure from other countries to lower the high tariffs that currently protect domestic producers of eggs, milk, cheese and poultry from foreign competition.