Our last chance to knock down the TPP is here, let’s seize it!

The clock is ticking as the government’s public consultations on the TPP close on October 31st, so it’s never been more important that all Canadians stand together to knock down the worst trade deal in history.

It’s been over six months since the TPP was signed by its 12 participant nations back in February and it’s been a heated battle since. We’ve seen public consultations, protests, political debates and even Jumbotruck stunts, all of which have shaped the conversation on whether this deal is actually to the benefit of signatory countries and their people.

With the U.S. elections only weeks away, speculation over whether President Barack Obama will succeed in pushing the deal through the lame duck Congress has never been greater – despite both presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, opposing the deal.

Similarly, north of the border, the parliamentary committee reviewing the TPP – the Standing Committee on International Trade – is closing its cross country consultation in less than two weekson October 31st, which means that we are on a tight timeline to flood our MP’s inboxes with as many comments as possible!

This is where you come in. We are asking Canadians to seize the last chance to speak out on the record against the TPP using our Lets Talk TPP tool. If you’re still not convinced about why this is a such bad deal and why it’s essential that you speak out against it, here’s a brief and gentle reminder:

• The TPP will drive drug prices up– a move that will be incredibly costly to our healthcare system and will prohibit people from accessing the drugs they need at a reasonable price. Many people’s lives depend on this.

• The TPP will cost our economy millions in copyright extensions.

• The TPP's Intellectual Property laws will lay solid grounds for outrageous exploitation (can you imagine paying 5,000% more for a given product? Hell no!).

• The TPP will result in millions of job losses, as labour will be moved overseas, where it is cheaper.

• The TPP will allow foreign corporations to sue our government for millions of dollars under its controversial ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Settlement) provision.

• The TPP will break our digital future. It will “criminalize our online activities, censor the Web, and cost everyday users money”, in the words of our Meghan Sali.

• The TPP will restrict how we innovate and share culture and overwrite our national laws without our consent, without any consultation, undermining our sovereignty.

• The TPP will threaten our environmental protection laws.

As you can see, the stakes are far too high to give up the fight, so it is key that as many Canadians as possible get their voices on the public record between now and October 31st. Speaking out will make a difference, as without Canada’s support, the TPP may be falling  short of key supporters. Even the Australian Chamber of Commerce has recently reversed its position, coming out against the TPP, claiming it’s not even a free trade deal:

It’s not too late to stop one of the worst trade deals in history from becoming a dreadful reality. Remember, it is not a deal unless WE agree to it. The clock is ticking: we have 11 days left and 22,313 supporters (and counting!) who have already sent their messages.

So please add your voice if you haven’t already (it only takes 60 seconds!), share our handy tool and stay tuned for the latest developments on the TPP through our Facebook and Twitter communities. Together we can beat this deal!