Canada FTA and visa challenges

A Free Trade agreement with our far northern friends is inevitable; but, it should be ratified after May 3

PHILIP EDMONSTON
lemonaid@earthlink.net

Of course, I believe in free trade, as long as it is ‘fair trade’—Having participated in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) hearings for almost a year in the early 90’s when the Agreement was debated in Canada’s House of Commons, the U. S Congress, and Mexico’s Parliament, it is obvious to me that ‘the Devil is in the details’, and lawmakers need time and outside experts to discover those details.

I voted against the Agreement in the House because there weren’t sufficient environmental and worker protections in the treaty. And, looking back at the ensuing events, it seems that these are the primary reasons why the Obama administration in Washington wants to renegotiate the deal.

However, American trade officials are not rushing to start trade talks with Panama. Sources on Capitol Hill tell me that NAFTA is not a top priority because of the need for an economic stimulus package which will likely be the main focus of the new Administration. Furthermore, the recently-negotiated American trade treaty with Peru needs time to prove itself.

So why are Canadians in such a hurry to ink a trade deal with Panama? Probably, because so much hard work has already been done by our present and former Canadian ambassadors and a deal with Canada will be a feather in the cap of both governments. Also, a new treaty will likely bring major concessions from both parties and influence the pace and content of the eventual American and Panamanian discussions.

Nevertheless, the minority Conservative government is on thin ice and will not get Parliament’s backing with any trade deal until extensive hearings are held with all of the major stakeholders in Canada and environmental and worker rights are guaranteed. If you thought the Harper Conservatives back-pedaled with their last 2008 budget, just watch how quickly they dump a proposed Canada-Panama Trade Agreement when the Liberals, Bloc Quebecois, and New Democrats put Harper’s feet to the fire.

Direct flights coming up. —Indeed, this is another realization of our Canadian Embassy that has been sponsored by former Ambassador, Jose Herran-Lima and our present Ambassador, Patricia Langan-Torrell. Both ambassadors have made good on the embassy’s promise last year that the interminable twelve-hour flight to Toronto or Montreal, with long stopovers in Newark or Houston, would be cut to five or six hours.

Visa changes needed—It makes no sense that Panamanian visa applicants have to waste time, energy and money by going through the Canadian Embassy in Guatemala to get a visa to visit Canada. This is a policy that is not of the new Ambassador’s making. Hopefully, she will help to change it.

Information you ‘auto’ know—Tata Motors, the Indian conglomerate that bought Rover and Jaguar from Ford last year is also the owner of the Taj Hotel that was heavily damaged by terrorists last month. My guess is that the Taj rebuilding, factory worker strife, and a soured economy will ensure that both car makes languish from ‘benign neglect’ before they’re put back up on the auction block.

Finally, which auto company has seen huge sales increases in North America, while every other automaker’s sales are down by 30 percent. Give up? MINI, the manufacturer of the Mini Cooper. Buyers are standing in line and paying a premium to get one of these tiny English imports. ‘

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