Together We Can Stop CETA!
The text may be finished, but the fight’s just beginning!
Friday, September 26
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Ottawa
Assemble outside the Transport Canada building (330 Sparks Street) starting at 11:30 am
March to Parliament Hill for a noon-time rally
On September 26, officials from Canada and the European Union will meet at a ceremony in Ottawa to officially announce that negotiations for the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) are finished and the text has been finalized.
While CETA negotiations have been ongoing since 2009, no official texts of the agreement have ever been released to the public, and there has been no opportunity for public scrutiny of CETA.
But after September 26, there will be no way to make changes to the agreement.
While the Harper government and the European Union have ignored calls for transparency and democracy by finalizing the deal behind closed doors, the fight to stop CETA is far from over. Come hear from activists from Canada and Europe about the CETA threat, and how we can make sure CETA is never ratified.
Leaks of the text have revealed that CETA will have far-reaching impacts on both sides of the Atlantic, including:
- Giving corporations the right to directly sue governments in unaccountable international tribunals for compensation if new laws or regulations impact their profits
- Increasing the cost of pharmaceuticals in our health care system by a $1 billion or more per year
- Putting thousands of Canadian jobs at risk by opening up key parts of maritime shipping to European corporations
- Putting our public services at risk and making it harder to reverse failed privatizations or expand public services in the future
- Removing the rights of provinces, municipalities, schools and hospitals to get the most out of their procurement dollars by favouring local goods and services
Organized by the Canadian Maritime and Supply Chain Coalition with support from the Trade Justice Network, the Quebec Network on Continental Integration (RQIC), and Campact Germany.
Getting to Ottawa: The Seafarers International Union is organizing buses to Ottawa to participate in the rally, leaving from Montreal, Quebec City, Thorold, and Toronto the morning of September 26. To reserve a seat on the bus, email Verena at vgarofalo@seafarers.ca