As a Canadian taxpayer, I do not support this deal. Corporations are the winners, and we, as consumers and taxpayers, will be the losers.
Multinationals have the right to sue the Canadian government under NAFTA, but the TPP goes further in this respect. A polluter should pay if a corporation damages the environment. If the Canadian government passes a regulation that restricts a corporation's ability to pollute or they do something that affects climate change, our government could be sued and could end up paying billions of dollars. As a taxpayer, I totally disagree with their right to sue.
Multinationals could use this as a threat to prevent raising minimum wages and to not accept changes in regulations to lending practices, if they go in on the financial side of business as a lender. Those may not be part of their business practices, contrary to our banking laws.
We have strong health and environmental regulations and we are trying to make them even better. Our government could be prevented from doing more to strengthen these regulations, and we would pay the price. Most of our hospitals are public hospitals, with some newer ones based on private-public partnerships. Should they start building private hospitals, which would go against our Health Act, where would that leave our Health Act and what would be our government's position?
This is almost like coming in through the back door to operate their business and complaining that our regulations prevent them from conducting their business for profit, as they would in their country, and suing us for the losses and costs of doing business. Almost anything that affects their future profits leaves our government open to being sued, with taxpayers paying the bill.
Thank you very much for the opportunity.