I think the issue of transparency is hugely important.
For example, if you take a look at the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement—the trade agreement that Canada signed along with the United States, Europe, and some other countries—which was defeated in Europe as the result of the protests of hundreds of thousands of people, much of that centred around the lack of transparency.
I think there is a public sense, particularly when you're talking about some of my issues.... I recognize that in some trade agreements it's a give and take and a commercial negotiation. When you're talking about issues that involve cultural sovereignty, things like intellectual property, which for a very long time haven't even been included in these kinds of agreements, but are instead typically negotiated at places like the World Intellectual Property Organization in a much more open forum.... For example, just next week Canada is going to be participating in a diplomatic conference to create a treaty for the visually impaired, with special exceptions for the visually impaired to copyrighted materials. That takes place in an open environment where all stakeholders have the ability to see draft text, provide input, and ensure that their interests are adequately represented and that we get the best possible outcome.
In the context of something like ACTA, or now in the context of TPP, that's not what happens. The only thing that the public—experts in the field or the general public concerned with these issues—have access to is that either they happen to be invited to become part of these sort of groups and then sign these NDAs, or more likely, are simply kept out of the process and the entire thing is presented as a fait accompli, as in, “Here's the agreement, take it or leave it.”
I think that lack of transparency fundamentally undermines future public support, such that it's in everybody's interest to blow this open.