I am an older Canadian citizen who was born and raised on the Prairies, and whose family comes from farmers on both sides, and I married a veterinarian, who comes from a Nova Scotia farm, so that establishes my credentials. What do I feel about this trade deal? Not much.
Did any trade deals up to now benefit most citizens? No. They certainly didn't benefit me and many others in our communities, including my family across the country.
I'm not going to say much more than this, because I think you've had umpteen presentations, with all kinds of facts and figures and whatnot.
The major concern that I have, particularly about what will happen in P.E.I., and in the Prairies, and across Canada, is water. Is water going to become the new oil? Will it become a wild west, where somebody with power, a rancher, will be able to protect their water supply, which is our common good?
Other concerns are corporate ownership, a monopoly on prescription drugs, supply management in agriculture, and corporate interests will trump everything. There is a nickname that some of us have given to the TPP: the corporate investor rights agreement.
That is my submission. I have a little bit more fleshed out in a written submission.