NAFTA: Not looking good

Already it looks like the powerful corporate interests behind the TPP are seeking to use upcoming NAFTA negotiations to push their toxic digital agenda

Well, that didn’t take long: it’s been just a couple months since public pressure forced the U.S. to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), but powerful corporate interests are already finding new ways to push their toxic digital agenda.

Crucial NAFTA renegotiations are rapidly approaching, and it’s already clear that the U.S. will use these talks to try and force Canada to sign up to copyright rules as bad if not worse than those in the TPP.

We need to make sure that our representatives in Ottawa listen to Canadians and avoid the mistakes of the TPP. Will you use our tool to send our crowdsourced Let’s Talk TPP Citizens’ Report to your MP and Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne right now?

Top copyright expert Michael Geist is warning that the U.S. starting position for NAFTA “looks a lot like the TPP”, with plans for copyright term extensions that will rob the public domain, and digital lock rules that far exceed current requirements.

But thanks to the participation of so many Canadians in Let’s Talk TPP, we have the antidote to these bad ideas. Our crowdsourced report — shaped by almost 28,000 engaged citizens — makes clear that Canada should not only reject the TPP, but ensure that Canadians are thoroughly consulted on any future trade plans.

Now we need to make sure MPs hear your message loud and clear: Send the Let’s Talk TPP Citizens’ Report to your MP and Trade Minister Champagne and tell them to put the interests of Canadians before those of corporate lobbyists.

Together, we fought successfully to stop the TPP from criminalizing our online activity and overwriting our laws. The last thing we need is to see the TPP’s extreme proposals resurrected through NAFTA — or through the trade negotiations with China and the UK that are also expected very soon.

But if enough of us speak up, we can ensure these talks put citizens — not powerful conglomerates — first. Don’t let Ottawa ignore you — send our crowdsourced plan to your MP and Trade Minister Champagne right now, and don't forget to share our tool with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.