Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present yet another petition from many Canadians who have joined the call to stop the Canada-Colombia trade deal.
The petitioners call on Parliament to reject the Canada-Colombia trade deal until an independent human rights impact assessment is carried out and the resulting concerns addressed, and that the agreement be renegotiated along the principles of fair trade, which would take environmental and social impacts fully into account while genuinely respecting and enhancing labour rights and the rights of all affected parties.
The Canada-Colombia so-called free trade agreement was negotiated following a framework similar to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has mainly benefited large multinational corporations, without providing real benefits to working families.
A review of the text of the Canada-Colombia deal confirms that the type of labour and environmental protection clauses being sought do not provide meaningful, effective protection and lack enforcement mechanisms.
The petitioners therefore call upon Parliament to stop this free trade deal.