Open letter to MP Ryan Leef:
I’m another concerned Yukoner, who wonders how you, our MP, could possibly stand up and justify what our current Conservative government is doing,
passing the Canada-China Investment Treaty. I have read editorials and reports in several of Canada’s newspapers and two legal summaries and my growing concern of what this government has done leaves me frightened of what lies ahead for my grandchildren and their children.
The general consensus of the reports and editorials is - with this treaty Canada hands away many of our national rights that have formed this country since the War of 1812 and/or direct ownership of our resources. The agreement is for 31 years!
And we have not had the opportunity to discuss, debate or even review the indirect impacts on the lands and waters or direct impact of the external arbitration process.
The Canadian Labour Congress is, right now, asking the minister of human resources to rescind the work permits issued to a company to import workers under the temporary foreign workers program for a coal mine in northern British Columbia. I do not know if this type of action against a company could be considered as a violation of the treaty and be brought to the arbitrators to resolve. Who are these arbitrators?
There are too many unknowns for me to comfortably leave this decision to you and this Conservative government to pass without all of our elected MPs’ input. We in good faith vote - to elect individuals who swear to make decisions in the best interests of Canada as a whole. What has happened to the democratic rights and obligations of all members of Parliament?
I also echo the sentiment in an earlier open letter to you: the current Conservative government has a small governing majority and there are many politically savvy Canadians who can form a government with the best interests of all Canadians in their hearts and minds, not only for the people of today, but also our children tomorrow.
Mary J. Johnson
Whitehorse