Madam Speaker, the part that is most troublesome to many of us within the TPP is also a part that is coming up for negotiations in NAFTA, and that is what is called “investor-state dispute resolution” systems.
Strangely enough, Donald Trump has offered up chapter 11 of NAFTA and said that the U.S. would like to get rid of this. We should grab that with both hands and get rid of it. Instead, we are expanding it now and allowing the countries within the TPP region to have the same abilities to bring cases against Canada, initiated by foreign corporations against decisions made by our domestic governments or courts. We have a history of this now. We know very well that Canada loses and has multi-million dollar fines against it for decisions taken in accordance with our laws, in accordance with the rules of fair trade. I need to stress that. Members are confused on this point.
Investor-state agreements are not about Canada doing something wrong. They are private arbitrations, generally in secret, in the interest of corporate power and global corporate rule against Canadian sovereignty. Why would we want to extend that? Why do we want to protect it in NAFTA? Why should we extend it in the TPP?