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Attend this important forum with leading experts to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership in Ottawa.
Ottawa (21 March 2016) — On April 1, a blue-ribbon panel of experts from Canada, the United States and Europe will hold a forum in Ottawa on the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The keynote speaker at this free event will be Nobele Prize-winning economist Dr. Joseph Stiglitz.
The Forum will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.(keynote address at 11 a.m.) in Room FSS4007, Social Sciences Building, University of Ottawa. To RSVP send an email to JKarpf — attendance is free but space is limited.
Proponents of the TPP argue that it is a once-in-a-generation trade deal that will create jobs and boost Canada’s economy. Opponents counter that the TPP is far more than trade deal — it is an unprecedented set of rules created to increase the profits of transnational corporations and grant them extraordinary powers to override governments that enact legislation in the public interest.
Canada’s Liberal government has called for extensive public consultation before deciding if it will ratify the TPP, and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland has promised to commission an impact study.
MAKING SENSE OF THE TPP is meant to be an informed contribution to the consultation process. It will be hosted by the University of Ottawa and sponsored by Communications Workers of America Canada, the country’s only all-media union, and the Trade Justice Network. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is a member of the Trade Network.
In addition to Dr. Stiglitz, participants include:
- Prof. Gus Van Harten, author and expert on international investment law
- Dr. Ron Labonte, University of Ottawa Canada Research Chair in Globalization and Health Equity
- Jeronim Capaldo, ground-breaking Tufts University Research Fellow
- Scott Sinclair, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives economist
- Pia Eberhardt, Brussels-based international trade researcher for the Corporate Europe Observatory
The experts will explore the TPP’s potential impact on jobs, manufacturing, health care, sovereignty and the Internet.
The forum will also examine the controversial inverstor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provision of the TPP, which would grant foreign corporations the right to sue governments if they believe a government decision negatively impacts their potential future profits — something neither Canadian companies nor private citizens have the right to do.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE