MAI -- Second Report -- Appendix I

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT ON INVESTMENT
SECOND REPORT

Third Session, Thirty-sixth Parliament
June 29, 1999

Appendix I

British Columbians on the MAI...
Selected Quotations from the
Regional Public Hearings

[T]he MAI is a sleeping giant, waiting to roll over in another forum.: -- Eunice Parker, Council of Canadians, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 660

The MAI is not dead; it is just being moved to other places, where it will be just as destructive.: -- Holly Jessome, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 469

[T]he MAI is on hold and is certainly not dead.: -- William Boyd, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 758

To say that the MAI is dead is to ignore...the statement by the federal Trade minister, Sergio Marchi...who called the moratorium "a period of redemption.": -- Robert Hagman, Council of Canadians, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 543

They [the media] dumb down people's understanding of these issues...thinking that because the MAI was blocked at the OECD, therefore there is no more threat to democratic rights and national sovereignty by global corporatism -- [is] a clear example.: -- Doug Seeley, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 597

I think it was as much a falling-out of the proverbial thieves among themselves as it was pressure from objectors that produced a strategic retreat, and there can be little comfort in this.... Respite is the only term for it.: -- Dereck Sale, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 490

I know that there has been a certain amount of pressure to drop this whole process, now that the MAI -- in its current form -- is on hold or perhaps dead. However, most of the provisions in that proposal will be back and will quite possibly be negotiated in even greater secrecy in other international venues, such as the World Trade Organization.: -- Don Sachs, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 697

It's chilling to learn the scope of the [World] Trade Organization's power.: -- Michelle Des Lauriers, End Legislated Poverty, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 859

[T]he forces behind the MAI have not given up. If unable to revive the MAI, they will find another way to implement the necessary provisions -- perhaps through the World Trade Organization or the International Monetary Fund, both of which operate behind closed doors and are not accountable to the public.: -- Don Sloan, Okanagan-Similkameen Parks Society, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 734

I can't believe that provincial governments, other than B.C., are not standing up on their own and saying: "You can't do this.": -- Tracy Robbestad, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 497

I fail to comprehend how any democratic nation could agree to this, when it erodes all levels of governments' ability to act in the interest of its citizens.: -- Ava Waxman, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 646

This forum provides evidence of democracy still at work....: -- Rev. Nolan Gingrich, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 528

[T]hese hearings are] the first ray of light that I've seen in respect of this MAI since the government of Canada started negotiating in a basement in Paris in secret two years ago.: -- George McKnight, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 548

I sure wish that we could have had hearings like this one when the FTA and NAFTA were negotiated.: -- Pierre Trottier, United Transportation Union Local 691, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 702

Thank you, too, Members of our Legislative Assembly...for your commitment to travelling the province to hear citizens' concerns.... I urge our Premier to place this issue at the top of the list to raise before the province.: -- Karen Rinehart, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, pp. 532-3

I'm humbled by the volume and breadth of material that was presented to you over the eight days in the fall of 1998 by the experts.: -- Mary Taitt, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 843

In the shrieking silence from other Canadian governments, the B.C. government has the opportunity to assume a national leadership role in fighting against this proposed agreement.: -- John Church, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 871

My initial reaction when I heard you were coming around, frankly, was: "Why are you doing this now?" The MAI, for now at least, is dead. I'd be the first to acknowledge that it very well may be resurrected. But...we don't necessarily have the kind of lead time that is necessary when it does come up. In retrospect, I think it is appropriate that something is put together so that if this thing is resurrected -- and I suspect it will be -- then we have something ready.": -- Jim Gouk, MP for Kootenay-Boundary-Okanagan, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 508

I know the people of B.C. are pleased with the fact that the provincial government is conducting these hearings.... British Columbia is the first subnational jurisdiction in the world to address these important issues through a public process. I applaud your government for its courage to address the MAI head-on.: -- Kel Kelly, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 579

The thousands of dollars spent on examining the MAI and international investment rules is a blatant waste of taxpayers' money.: -- Margo Wood, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 686

Recent media reports have stated that the MAI is dead and have called the value of this committee into question.... [T]he current evidence suggests a contrary conclusion....: -- Noel Schacter, Director, International Branch, Ministry of Employment and Investment,
Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 586

I would like to thank those that made these hearings possible and give a special tribute to the ones whose tireless probing and investigation brought the MAI to our attention.: -- Ricardo Cordoni, Council of Canadians, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 783

The federal government is pushing hard for an investment agreement to be included in the upcoming free trade agreement of the Americas and the WTO negotiations. Hence the work of this committee has become even more important....: -- Noel Schacter, Director, International Branch, Ministry of Employment and Investment,
Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 586

I was really surprised at how little people know about something as major as this.: -- Mia Gardiner, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 528

The agreement, from the start, has been shrouded in a veil of secrecy.: -- Marianne Davies, Campbell River, Courtenay and District Labour Council, Courtenay,
Mar. 2, 1999, p. 565

I cannot help feeling suspicious when negotiations about me and my children's heritage take place in secret.: -- David Watts, Feb. 17, 1999, Terrace, p. 432

[T]he MAI was negotiated in complete secrecy. Why would this be the case?: -- Victoria Hogan, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 777

The very secrecy of the negotiations is frightening, because multinational corporations are in effect demonstrating a way of doing business which is oppressive, covert and devious.: -- Steve Hvenegaard, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, pp. 528-9

The MAI was negotiated in complete secrecy for two years. They very nearly signed it, when it was brought to light by the NGOs and not by the governments negotiating it. This lack of transparency and of public participation seriously undermines democratic principles. As the social affairs commission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops stated: "The participation of the marginalized in economic and social planning takes priority over an economic order that excludes them. All peoples have rights to self-determination, to effectively participate in economic and social decisions affecting their lives.": -- Marie Noonan, Oblate Conference of Canada, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 857

Why...do we permit very powerful and quasi-governmental organizations like the IMF, the WTO and the OECD to make decisions out of sight of the people...without input from or discussion with citizens?: -- Bernice Miller, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 801

[N]ot many...proponents of the MAI have come forward [during public hearings].... I think that in itself says a lot.... I don't think the proponents of this MAI have arguments that can withstand a public forum, so that's why they want to keep their negotiations in secret....: -- Greg Dickey, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 873

[P]ublic negotiation and public involvement in the process have not been a priority whatsoever.: -- Heather Ramsey, Terrace, Feb. 17, 1999, p. 436

The first thing that jumped out at me, after a question about what the OECD countries are doing to keep the general public informed about negotiations, was that "the MAI negotiating parties are committed to a transparent negotiating process and to active public discussion on the issues at stake in the negotiations." This was interesting in view of all I'd previously read and heard about how everything was kept secret until the original draft was leaked just before it was to be signed.: -- Linda Lee Crosfield, Federation of British Columbia Writers, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 517

[T]he letters "OECD" now represent...to many...citizens' groups "the organization for economic control and domination.": -- Bill Robertson, Council of Canadians, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 651

I see the MAI designed by the International Chamber of Commerce.: -- John Alton, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 538

The Canadian government is supposed to represent us. Under the MAI, the government would be the representative of big businesses, not of me.: -- Colleen Craig, Terrace, Feb. 17, 1999, p. 443

[I]f the MAI was such a good thing for the citizens of Canada, why were the negotiations carried out behind closed doors and under such a veil of secrecy?: -- Donisa Bernardo, Hospital Employees Union, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 704

The content of the draft MAI clearly shows how removed that bureaucratic elite is from mainstream Canadian civil society and its communitarian values and how fully integrated the values of the political and corporate elite in our society are.: -- Robert Hagman, Council of Canadians, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 545

[T]he line cook at the local McDonald's, making bare minimum wage, didn't suggest an agreement, nor did the person who was about to be downsized.: -- Bill White, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 701

The scary thing isn't that the MAI was proposed...[but] that it was almost passed [and] that so many national governments were willing to give up their sovereignty at the behest of the corporate elites.: -- Doug Tedford, Prince George and District Labour Council, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 465

What if we end up [with] an agreement that says...that we can't offer awards and subsidies to our own citizens unless we offer them to anyone else who figures they should get a piece of the pie, too, even though they didn't help bake it?: -- Linda Lee Crosfield, Federation of British Columbia Writers, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 517

The MAI seems...a most insidious concept.... At whose behest and on whose behalf did our government pursue this trade initiative? And most crucially, whose interest does this or initiatives like it serve?: -- David Bantle, Council of Canadians, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 784

The MAI would further entrench the rights of corporations. The problem...is that corporations are already too powerful.: -- Harold Funk, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 2000,
Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, pp. 660-1

One cannot find anywhere in the draft a single sentence that details the duties and responsibilities of these foreign investors.: -- Philip Marchant, Council of Canadians, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 611

The right of all people to health protection and a safe, clean environment vastly outweighs the right to profit from such an investment. The MAI is designed to reverse this order, and this we cannot countenance.: -- Marie Noonan, Oblate Conference of Canada, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 857

[T]he Faustian bargain offered by the MAI is that we folks at the bottom will be giving up everything and getting nothing in return.: -- Shane Koscielniak, Council of Canadians, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 879

Will the MAI lead to the establishment of a tax on the obscene profits made by international money traders? I kind of doubt it. Will it make my pension, my investments, your job and our future more secure? I doubt it.: -- Hugo Sutmoller, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 629

[Under the MAI,] the level playing field is really a steep incline, with [international investors] at the top and the domestic population and businesses in the gutter below.: -- Eva Lyman, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 810

As a citizen of Canada, I'm just completely appalled that a group of trade negotiators...can simply negotiate away the federal government's right to govern.: -- Kate Brauer, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 530

[T]he federal government, in a very real sense, is guilty of high treason against the people of Canada for secretly getting into this kind of negotiation for a treaty...which only benefits the transnational corporations.: -- William Lim, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 859

Let's not mince words. It is treason. The MAI is the undoing of our democratic rights.: -- Merlin Godwin, Global Millennium Project, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 880

I regard the role of the government of Canada as unrepentantly arrogant in its disregard of the rights of Parliament and our elected representatives....: -- Harold Sinkinson, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 606

The multilateral agreement on investment almost became the best-kept secret of our time. Too many people -- and not just in Canada -- are still totally unaware of the perils facing us. How utterly despicable that a few democratically elected government officials and civil servants secretly took it upon themselves to negotiate a treaty that would accommodate powerful foreign companies, sacrificing in exchange all that Canada has stood and fought for.: -- Vera Gottlieb, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 712

As a Canadian citizen, I was appalled to learn that my federal government was negotiating the MAI behind closed doors, with no consultation with its citizens and no debate in the House of Commons by our elected representatives.: -- Maria Tokarchuk, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 745

[H]ow could our government do this without our permission? We're a democratic society. How can they negotiate a deal in private, in secret, without our permission?: -- Ken Dagg, Canadian Automobile Workers Local 2301, Terrace, Feb. 17, 1999, p. 438

I have supported the Liberal government in Ottawa for well over 50 years.... [H]ow they supported and how they promoted the MAI has really been a shock to me. It has kept me awake for many nights....: -- Emile Lacroix, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 609

[O]nce people had a chance to understand the details of the proposed agreement, they quickly realized how one-sided and detrimental it really is.: -- Bev Onischak, West Kootenay Labour Council, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 520

The no-citizens-allowed sign must come down.: -- Ruth Miller, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 593

There is no reason for MAI negotiations to be carried on in secret. The democratic process is still the best political system we have and must be a guiding principle in all discussions.: -- Wil Holland, British Columbia Old Age Pensioners Organization, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 672

[T]he MAI likes to hide away in dark corners, shrouded in secrecy. Don't let it. Expose it.... [W]e implore you to keep us informed.: -- Nora Danielson, Students Against MAI, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 684

The Canadian government seems to have learned from the public uproar over the MAI. We know that they are pushing for more consultation and openness in the process surrounding the free trade agreement of the Americas.: -- Richard Morrow, Oxfam Canada, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 594

[A]ll the people of Canada should wake up and smell the coffee.: -- Kate Brauer, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 529

I'm a hairstylist, a busy single parent and usually part of what is referred to as the silent majority. But the implications of the MAI, or any instrument like it, are too important to ignore.: -- Mary-Lin Helfer, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 541

We cannot leave negotiations on a treaty with such serious consequences to a secretive process conducted by trade ideologues at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.: -- Marc Lee, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 830

I as a young person find [it] alarming...that [the MAI would]...last a whole generation.: -- Holly Jessome, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 469

What happens when a country realizes that it has made a big mistake and it can't get out of the agreement for 20 years?: -- Rael Learmonth, age 10, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 724

[W]ith the increasing speed of global events, why would a government lock itself into a 20-year trade agreement?: -- Kate Brauer, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 530

Surely a treaty which would bind Canada as a country...for 20 years...is appalling without public discussion before getting into [it].: -- John Argue, Working Group on Poverty, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 654

The MAI was this big package, a big nasty thing that we could sort of get our teeth around.... But if they're pushing it through bit by bit, it's really hard...to fight it.: -- Fiona Hunt, British Columbia Library Association, Surrey, Mar 4, 1999, p. 649-50

[U]nderstanding the impact of these global issues is not an easy task for those of us concerned about our paycheques and the kids' orthodontist bills. That doesn't mean we're not interested....: -- Barry Baskin, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 684

Discovery of these negotiations by the public sector has led to millions of us learning about it, acting to defeat it and preparing to positively influence future trade treaties.: -- Dr. Dorothy Goresky, Unitarian Church of Vancouver, Vancouver, Mar. 11, p. 776

In trying to strengthen environmental laws, governments would just be inviting retaliatory action. It's happened already, and its happening right now under NAFTA.: -- Joan Spira, Burke Mountain Naturists, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 662

[I]t is inevitable that Canada will face numerous challenges under the chapter 11 [investment] provisions of NAFTA, and [that] many of these NAFTA challenges will be so costly that Canada will be coerced into changing its laws and regulations because it can't afford to pay compensation.: -- Phil Robertson, Council of Canadians, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 553

There is no avenue of appeal once a decision by this anonymous panel of appointed, unelected and unaccountable officials is rendered.: -- Robert Hagman, Council of Canadians, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 544

Under the MAI, foreign investors [would] have an unqualified right to sue governments under rules of international arbitration so secretive they would rival those of the Star Chamber centuries ago.: -- Bill Woolverton, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 739

[T]he overturning of any environmental protection law...is a far greater price to pay for Canadians, than the millions that we hand over in actual cash.: -- Loreta Learmonth, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 724

Why, when democracy can be sustained only when citizens have free access to economic and political information, is a new world order being created by the trade organizations, which insist on secret negotiations and secret agreements as well as a secret dispute settlement process, conducted by a tribunal, a secretly appointed triumvirate whose basis for decisions will be a permanent secret?: -- Bernice Miller, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 801

Do we really wish to sign free trade agreements that give foreign companies rights that exceed those of Canadian companies?: -- Don Sachs, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 696

Investor clauses that allow companies to sue governments in secret, without a right of appeal, and that give corporations more power than elected governments and more rights than either human citizens or local businesses will not create the type of fair society that Canadians have worked for several decades to achieve.: -- Eva Lyman, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 810

These panels do not follow domestic legal principles...[but follow] international commercial dispute resolution...procedures [that are] highly secretive and contrary to our traditions of open and accountable public judicial processes.: -- Waldemar Braul, Aboriginal Rights Coalition, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 604

We predict that these agreements will lead to a new industry springing up: how to make money suing national governments for non-compliance with inhumane trade agreements.: -- John Fitzpatrick, Vancouver and District Labour Council, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 812

All our governments would be reduced to student council status....: -- Peter Thomson, Council of Canadians, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 653

[U]nder the NAFTA, Canada was forced to pay Ethyl, the MMT polluters.: -- Tony Ramsdale, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 698

The wake-up call, if such was needed, was certainly provided by Ethyl Corp.'s $251 million (US) NAFTA lawsuit against the Canadian government....: -- Wayne Bradley, Georgia Strait Alliance, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 562

To the Ethyl Corp. investor, NAFTA provides manna from heaven.: -- Frank McGreal, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 885

"With a constant water supply and per-capita water consumption rising at twice the rate of the world's population, you do not have to be an Einstein to understand that we are headed toward a potential calamity.": -- Des Turner, quoting U.S. Senator Paul Simon, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 666

The environment, as seen through the eyes of multinationals, is a saleable commodity.: -- Eve Eriksen, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 781

[I]n 1993 before I was elected, I wrote a paper on the inclusion of water in the Free Trade Agreement and NAFTA...we're told that it only applies to bottled water. But it doesn't say that; it simply refers to water.... If that's the...intent, then you simply amend NAFTA to say "bottled water." Now you have clarified forever more than the only water that NAFTA will apply to is bottled water. By its absence, it leaves it open to interpretation, which...is where we get into a lot of our problems.: -- Jim Gouk, Member of Parliament, Kootenay-Boundary-Okanagan, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 513

[F]or water the argument is no longer whether water is a commodity or not.... [It's]: should these international investors be given such power under an investment agreement?: -- Stan Robertshaw, Council of Canadians, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 793

[T]he scheme to divert the water from the North Thompson River...[meant that it would] ultimately be sold to California. I guess they thought we might like to buy the vegetables with our own water....: -- Cheryl Thomas, Yellowhead Ecological Association, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 689

It is a myth to claim that exportation of bulk water would create many jobs.: -- John Church, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 871

We have signs up and down our valley saying: "Damn the NAFTA, not our rivers.": -- Cheryl Thomas, Yellowhead Ecological Association, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 690

[K]eep the water here and let industry move to where the water is, so that we get some economic spinoff benefit and can control it. Under no circumstance should our water rights be given up or even compromised.: -- Dean Fredlund, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 694

One only has to look at the environmental disasters caused...by the diversion of natural water flows into the Aral Sea [in the former Soviet Union].... Decades later, the effects...are still being felt....: -- Don Sloan, Okanagan-Similkameen Parks Society, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 735

When will it end...? Will we be facing a future where we will be buying back our own water from the U.S., because our attempts to stop privatization of our water resources would cost us more [under the agreements] than we could afford to pay?: -- Karen Abramsen, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 728

[U]nder MAI both our food sufficiency and dependency are threatened. In B.C. we currently produce 50 percent of the land-based food we consume. This provides us with a buffer against near-total dependency on foreign suppliers. However, as our supply of natural water decreases, our self-sufficiency in food decreases as well.: -- Dr. Albert Van Ryswyk, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 715

Helping a neighbour is one thing, but severe loss of sovereignty through compromising our life-giving water supply is another.: -- Dr. Albert Van Ryswyk, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 716

[The federal] government has committed us to pay millions -- maybe billions -- of dollars in compensation to foreign investors for attempting to...develop communities in a sustainable fashion. I urge you, as a provincial government, to investigate the constitutionality of such a situation.: -- Joyce Macdonald, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 531

[I recommend] that the B.C. government and the people of B.C. not be held liable as a result of lawsuit settlements due to NAFTA, the MAI or any other treaties or agreements which contravene and infringe upon the constitution of 1867 and 1982; and for any redress regarding the...imposed financial liability, [and] that the British Columbia government put such matters of concern to public referendum.: -- Robert Cichocki, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 752

[H]ow can the federal government sign a document such as the MAI -- or NAFTA, for that matter -- where it is agreeing to certain conditions which are binding on provincial governments in areas which, under section 92 of the BNA Act, are exclusively put under the provincial governments...?: -- Phil Fawcett, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 605

[I]t's simply reckless to build an edifice of international investment and trade agreements on such dubious and questionable constitutional foundations.... [W]e urge the committee to recommend that the province initiate legal proceedings to facilitate a constitutional review of chapter 11 of NAFTA.: -- Steven Shrybman, West Coast Environmental Law Association, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 770

Much of it is a David-and-Goliath fight. We know this. But remember that David had a small rock in a sling, and all he had to do was throw the rock in the right place. He defeated the giant; he killed him. The web site, for us, is the sling. It can do what the newspapers used to do but don't do anymore. It can inform a lot of people very quickly, and it was instrumental in the first defeat of the MAI. The information went around the world so fast that the people negotiating in secrecy could no longer contain the information. Of course, the rock that we would use in the sling would be the Canadian constitution. I can't see the judge that would refuse to uphold the Canadian constitution, with over half a million Canadians following this case through the web network.: -- Serge Robichaud, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 880

Health care, public education, environmental protection and social welfare are the main areas...[of] provincial authority, yet the MAI jeopardizes provincial authority in every one of these areas.: -- Jack Thornburgh, Council of Canadians, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 547

[I]t is now incumbent upon this province and others to bring these issues before Canadian courts so that the constitutional uncertainty that swirls around these international arrangements can be resolved....: -- Steven Shrybman, West Coast Environmental Law Association, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 769

B.C. was assured by the government of the day that the softwood [lumber] dispute with the U.S. could be resolved faster by this fantastic agreement called NAFTA. Well, it hasn't been resolved yet.: -- Dan Hingley, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 572

In our region, where conditions are already very tough economically, allowing timber companies to avoid obligations to keep mills operating or to direct logs and processing into our region would make a bad situation worse.: -- Art Larocque, North Okanagan Labour Council, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 764

[T]he MAI...would accelerate an environmental and economic race to the bottom.: -- Frank Robertson, Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada Local 9, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 475

[F]ree trade under the FTA and NAFTA is only free when the Americans want it to be.: -- Don Sachs, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 696

If timber sale licences were not tied to local economic activity, our forest resource would simply be exported, and local employment would be reduced.: -- Don Allen, New Westminster and District Labour Council, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 644

[I]n the forest industry...what NAFTA did was allow...Americans...to dictate how much of that resource we could export. I don't understand how that can be called free trade.: -- Charles Delacherois, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 527

The MAI's prohibition on performance requirements means that our government could not require the use of local labour or goods or transfer of technology to a local agency.: -- Linda Hargreaves, Hospital Employees Union, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 580

[T]he MAI deliberately jeopardizes national or regional development policies by refusing performance requirements based on local reinvestment or transfer of technology and prohibits mandatory local job creation or joint ventures....: -- David Lethbridge, Communist Party of Canada, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 742

Canadians should be able to decide their own social, cultural and industrial priorities in the area of communications, rather than letting foreign corporations set these priorities for us.: -- Sid Shniad, Telecommunications Workers Union, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 849

As a Chinese, I see the MAI as updated nineteenth-century mercantilism.: -- William Lim, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 859

With investment agreements like the MAI, NAFTA, the financial services agreement and all the others, Canada says to foreign investors: "Come and own all our resources. Take the wealth of Canada, and send the profits back home.": -- Philip Marchant, Council of Canadians, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 612

MAI corporations can sue local governments...at an international tribunal, and there is no appeal.... There is no reciprocal right, either.: -- Al Whyte, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 681

[T]he MAI would scare off governments from adopting any proactive strategies for managing development.: -- Bev Onischak, West Kootenay Labour Council, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 522

The investor rights provisions of the MAI would give developers a whole new set of tools to fight municipal governments that want to control development in the ways that meet community objectives.: -- John Colbourne, South Okanagan-Boundary Labour Council, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 762

[T]he city of Kelowna council wants to be assured that its ability to govern is not fettered by any proposed international trade negotiations.: -- Marion Bremner, Councillor, City of Kelowna, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 723

Where would local governments find the funds to compensate foreign businesses...? [W]e would be forced to end any practices that favour local business and instead provide a safe haven for transnational investment, or suffer the consequences.: -- Eunice Parker, Council of Canadians, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 659

You have heard from the Union of B.C. Municipalities and other experts about the many ways that the MAI would affect municipalities, would impinge on their elected officials' duty and right to govern. The point from Nelson's perspective is that we control our destiny. This community and its elected officials made and continue to make conscious decisions about our economic life. That power must never be taken away from us and replaced by corporate rights.: -- Donna Macdonald, Councillor, City of Nelson, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 519

What can any of us do...? There are locally elected officials across four continents who have already passed resolutions designating their cities MAI-free zones.: -- Colin Graham, Victoria Labour Council, Victoria, Mar, 3, 1999, p. 641

We found that NAFTA has not helped us but, instead, legitimized the dumping of American [agricultural] product into B.C.: -- Pat Fritzel, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 694

Small businesses are still responsible for 80 percent of all new employment.: -- Diane Davis, North Island Students Association, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 557

Many of the economic development objectives of the Columbia Basin Trust would be in violation of the MAI provisions.: -- Bev Onischak, West Kootenay Labour Council, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 521

While MAI, GATT and NAFTA may seem like obscure acronyms to the public, they... would have devastating impacts on our communities.: -- Doug Tedford, Prince George and District Labour Council, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 464

The MAI is not about...job creation; it is about protecting investors and speculators.: -- Vera Gottlieb, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 713

Just recently...an American corporation sought to build a large retail outfit.... The mayor and council successfully negotiated conditions for design considerations and the local hiring of staff. This couldn't happen with an MAI treaty in place.: -- Eunice Parker, Council of Canadians, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 659

It's not that we are opposed to foreign investors; it's just that we want them to follow our environmental and labour laws and to give back to the community from which they take.: -- Barry Baskin, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 684

Free trade may have brought an increase in foreign investment into Canada, but few new full-time jobs have been created.: -- Michael Crawford, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 709

[M]aybe there has to be a minimum duration of time that an investor has to keep their investment in a country...or a percentage that has to be...reinvested back into the community.: -- Ava Waxman, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 647

The unrestricted movement of capital can be disastrous. Ask an Indonesian; ask a Russian.: -- Jim Loughery, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 467

[T]he term "investment" has become a euphemism for speculation and unregulated capital flows, which have no purpose except for quick profit at any cost.... This is what the MAI sought to ennoble....: -- Dereck Sale, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 491

In New Zealand...Canada...Australia...[major political parties] have all come out in support of Tobin taxes.: -- Alex Michalos, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 488

How can any nation control its economy for the good of its citizens or its environment when economies rise and fall at the whim of cybermoney investors?: -- Joan Spira, Burke Mountain Naturists, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 662

[L]iberalization of the capital account around the world is not making much of anything better.... [C]ountry after country is facing disaster...sooner or later the penny will drop.... It's just becoming very clear.: -- Alex Michalos, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 489

The irrational behaviour of international currency markets threatens the sustainability of countries.: -- Mary Taitt, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 844

For many of the southern communities where Oxfam works, the MAI is just the latest bad joke coming from the north....: -- Richard Morrow, Oxfam Canada, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 594

This out-of-control speculation precipitated the financial crisis in Asia and the current troubles in Brazil. Here at home the effects are seen in our devalued loonie and the loss of $5.7 billion in export sales last year -- $2 billion of those from British Columbia.: -- Cheryl Thomas, Yellowhead Ecological Association, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, pp. 689-90

The MAI provides a graphic illustration of an outdated, unbalanced and destabilizing approach to economic and social development.: -- Greg McDade, VanCity Savings Credit Union, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 768

Of the 100 largest economies in the world today, 51 are corporations.... The revenues of the top 200...multinational corporations this year...[is greater] than [the wealth of] three-quarters of the world's population. [These 200 corporations]...employ less than one-third of 1 percent of the global population.: -- Dallas Collis, Council of Canadians, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 795

[F]rom 1990 to 1996, 90 percent of investment in Canada by outside sources was in the takeover of Canadian corporations, resulting in loss of jobs and of income tax from wage-earners; loss of PST and GST from non-spenders...increase in employment insurance, welfare, homelessness and malaise with government by the people; and a race to the bottom....: -- Franklin Miller, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 800

Are Canadians listening? We are not safe from economic devastation, either as a rich South Korea or as a poor Brazil.: -- Dereck Sale, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 491

[T]he level of speculation and devastation caused by it...in the world has simply become another form of terrorism and should be outlawed -- period.: -- Dereck Sale, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 491

I oppose the MAI because I believe in democracy.: -- Joy Green, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 526

Shareholders' meetings would displace parliaments in making decisions affecting entire populations.: -- Ricardo Cordoni, Council of Canadians, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 782

We do not elect governments to put the fate of our nation in the hands of investors.: -- Kate Brauer, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 530

We cannot afford to have unelected, unaccountable multinational corporations rule Canada by intimidation.: -- Eva Lyman, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 811

The issue of the MAI is literally bigger than governments.: -- Des Turner, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 666

[N]o government that is seriously committed to democracy will be allowed to get away with supporting an MAI-like agreement.: -- Uri Strauss, Students Against MAI, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, pp. 683-4

[W]hat is being talked about in these lofty international trade agreements is the dismantling of democratically elected governments and their ability to pass laws that protect the public interest.: -- Barry Baskin, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 684

To allow such underhanded negotiations to result in trade agreements which supersede government control is clearly a move toward a new form of far-reaching bondage and subjugation.: -- Steve Hvenegaard, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 529

None of these foreign and supranational bodies can be held accountable to the Canadian people in elections.: -- William Downe, Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 626

No economic investment ought to be able to supersede the authority of democratically elected civil, provincial and federal governments in Canada. As members of a Lutheran faith community...we say no to the MAI and the NAFTA agreements as [they] presently stand.: -- Steve Hvenegaard, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 529

Our experiences under NAFTA -- and the likely outcomes, were the MAI implemented -- fall far short of the ethical statements outlined by the leaders of the five Canadian churches....: -- Beryl Mottershead, Comox Valley Interfaith Committee for Global Justice, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 558

Trickle-down human rights is as wrong as...trickle-down economics.: -- Gavin Hainsworth, Surrey Teachers Association, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 671

The MAI and the NAFTA are profoundly unbalanced agreements. They provide rights only for investors and traders. There is no counterbalancing to ensure people's basic human rights.: -- Richard Morrow, Oxfam Canada, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 594

Dismantling human rights and workers' rights doesn't feed the children.: -- Liz Ball, Terrace Women's Resource Centre, Terrace, Feb. 17, 1999, p. 442

Under the MAI, the large organizations may not have to move their plants elsewhere. They may simply be able to import the human capital and undercut the pay that Canadians have earned by blood, sweat and tears....: -- Nita Grass, Council of Canadians, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 747

[T]he international financial forums don't allow civil society or...governments to talk about human rights.: -- John Argue, Amnesty International, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 657

We are here to tell you that MAI principles should never trump the legitimate and fundamental place that aboriginal treaties should have in Canada's constitutional future.: -- Waldemar Braul, Aboriginal Rights Coalition, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 603

We also assumed...that Canada would have sought an aboriginal treaty exemption in the course of negotiations. We were dead wrong.: -- Waldemar Braul, Aboriginal Rights Coalition, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 603

It seems odd that those that need the greatest protection -- workers -- are completely left out of that agreement, while those that can easily defend themselves -- investors -- are given enormous new rights and status.: -- Don Allen, New Westminster and District Labour Council, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 644

[B]y subordinating social well-being to the corporate sector, women are moved further and further away from being able to make choices in their own lives, let alone being able to access and participate in a larger political process.: -- Andrea Welling, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 799

We sincerely hope that you...make sure that...human rights are on the table....: -- John Argue, Amnesty International, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 658

There is an enormous amount of energy and effort that is being devoted to protecting things like intellectual property rights and virtually nothing in current agreements to protect international labour rights.: -- Phillip Legg, British Columbia Federation of Labour, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 668

[W]hat are the impacts on treaties? For instance, suppose that an aboriginal group has signed a treaty and attempts to establish local preferences for utilizing local suppliers in the community to stimulate the local government. Assume that a large multinational investor which provides materials and services in the area of government programs and services claims that that particular preference constitutes an investment barrier. Can the multinational investor in fact sue that aboriginal group for the claimed loss of opportunity?: -- Edward Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Nisga'a Tribal Council, Terrace, Feb. 17, 1999, p. 450

Fundamentally, one must say that if a reservation such as the one proposed [for aboriginal programs] is offered, it must be for a reason. It's unlocking the reasons behind that exemption that must be made clear before any concerns of aboriginal peoples are appropriately addressed.: -- Edward Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Nisga'a Tribal Council, Terrace, Feb. 17, 1999, p. 450

[Under the MAI,] private health corporations could demand the same government funding as public health care.: -- Marjorie Nicol, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 781

The principles of the proposed MAI are fundamentally incompatible with the need of governments to retain the policy discretion for health care and other public services.: -- Sandra Ford, Hospital Employees Union, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 463

The [British Columbia Old Age Pensioners Organization]...is opposed to the MAI because of the impact it would have on seniors...and on all members of Canadian and world society.: -- Wil Holland, British Columbia Old Age Pensioners Organization, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 672

[A] foreign "information services" company...could enter Canada and set up operation...[and] be like a library but be a corporation. Under this national treatment clause, it could demand equal treatment with libraries, which would include government funding.... Information would become a commodity that people would have to pay for.: -- Fiona Hunt, British Columbia Library Association, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 649

[A]s you nibble away at the public sector delivery...we will end up with a two-tiered health care system. That's the system they have...in the United States.... A health care system that spends as much as they do and still leaves about 60 million Americans without access to any health care coverage is a complete disaster....: -- Phillip Legg, British Columbia Federation of Labour, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 667

We cannot accept the ruin of medicare by the MAI.... The only acceptable trade deal will carve out health care and protect social policy.: -- Sandra Ford, Hospital Employees Union, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 464

The fundamental premise of the MAI is that post-secondary education and culture are commodities.... The classes I take at UNBC are...not commodities; they are an integral part of my generation's ability to become productive citizens.: -- Holly Jessome, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, pp. 469-70

Under the MAI, private universities could demand the same public subsidies that public universities have access to, because under the MAI, there is no distinction made between public or private and non-profit or for-profit investments or institutions.: -- Holly Jessome, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 470

Health care is too important for our community to become a bargaining chip in the international tug of war that investors and large corporations are trying to orchestrate with the MAI.: -- Bev Onischak, West Kootenay Labour Council, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 521

MAI rules regarding expropriation and compensation create formidable obstacles for a government establishing new public services or expanding existing services.: -- Larry Bancroft, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3500, Kamloops, Mar, 9, 1999, p. 717

Under the MAI, B.C.'s referenced-based drug pricing -- the practice of paying only for the most affordable drug, usually the generic brand -- could be challenged.: -- Donosa Bernardo, Hospital Employees Union, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 705

What would happen to the comprehensive anti-smoking program [in B.C.]...which requires tobacco companies to list key ingredients on their cigarette packages?: -- Louise Hutchinson, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 870

The MAI and other trade agreements...do violence to the values upon which these programs were founded.: -- Michael Crawford, Council of Canadians, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 709

[W]hen you go to see a doctor in the U.S. or need to go into the hospital, they check your wallet before they check your pulse.: -- Ben Swankey, B.C. Old Age Pensioners Organization, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 853

About two years ago, I moved up from California.... My health care costs were as much as my home mortgage...$700 a month.: -- Andrew Acherman, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, pp. 860-1

You cannot eat, drink or breathe money....: -- Kari Hewett, Better Environmentally Sound Transportation Association, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 805

[T]he corporate world is targeting schools. The signing of the MAI [would]...give them free rein.: -- Fawn Knox, Kamloops-Thompson Teachers Association, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 719

Under the MAI...funding which is available for public post-secondary institutions in Canada could also be subject to the demands of private institutions setting up shop in Canada.: -- Vivian Hoffman, Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 803

Thirty years ago Canadians built a publicly funded universal health care system. Under the terms of the MAI, it would be in danger of being privatized.: -- Elsie Dean, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 841

Signing the MAI is like hiring assassins to kill our health care and social service systems.: -- Louise Hutchinson, Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 869

The MAI...[would] have the potential to either decimate emergency services or drive them to levels that would make them no longer effective, so endangering the people we now serve and protect.: -- Tim Baillie, Surrey Fire Fighters Association, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 669

Try to buy a Pepsi in my school.... If the MAI or MAI-like agreements are signed, corporations already entrenched in the public education system would be almost impossible to expel.: -- Gavin Hainsworth, Surrey Teachers Association, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 671

Education is already susceptible to corporate influence.... If anyone disagrees, I challenge that person to try to buy a Pepsi product at UBC.: -- Rob Nagai, Langara Students Union, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 815

[T]he MAI would expedite the emerging two-tier health care system...in this country. I feel like it's rolling over us with bulldozer speed.: -- Della McLeod, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 525

At the core of most...cultural programs is a desire to grant locally based cultural products preference over those of foreign origin.... This runs directly counter to the language of the MAI....: -- Krishna O'Connell, Council of Canadians, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 652

Nanaimo has a small professional theatre company which receives grants from all three levels of government. Presumably, governments would simply discontinue all grants rather than try to satisfy competing claims from foreign companies.: -- Phil Robertson, Council of Canadians, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 553

Canadians -- and that's all of us, the whole cultural mosaic -- deserve to be able to support each other over nationals from other countries, if we so choose. A document like the proposed MAI would effectively remove that choice.: -- Linda Crosfield, Federation of British Columbia Writers, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 517

Under the terms of the MAI, the ministry [of Education] would not be able to favour Canadian expertise. An international media giant such as Walt Disney...or Time Warner could easily outbid local contractors...for curriculum development.... Rebellions play better than referenda.... In the trade-off for vividness...[a different emphasis could be inserted] stressing the value of the military over Parliament. Over time, the important distinctions between our history and that of other nations on this continent could fade. I'm fearful that my students would lose our national identity as a people with a tradition of cooperation and of conflict resolution through process rather than violence.: -- Janet Amsden, Council of Canadians, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 782

It may be claimed that MAI-type agreements [regulate]...the behaviour of corporations, but the truth is quite the opposite.... Their intent is to hobble any government or popular influence over their drive for maximum profits.: -- David Lethbridge, Communist Party of Canada, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 742

If we dare oppose corporations with environmental laws, labour codes or collective bargaining, then they can simply move south or overseas and ship us our jobs back in a container.: -- Pierre Trottier, United Transportation Union Local 691, Kamloops, Mar. 9, 1999, p. 702

[A]greements such as the MAI have the potential to turn our... education system, our social services, our health care system and even our correctional system into corporate profit centres.: -- Marisa Orth-Pallavicini, Vancouver Elementary School Teachers Association,
Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 820

[Battle Hymn MAI]
The MAI is coming and My friends it won't be long. It's goodbye to democracy Cuz money calls the song. If foreign corporations Want to come and buy us out, Our needs will count for nowt!: -- Shirley Church, Fran Garratt, Joanna Nagel, Robyn Smith and Barbara Taylor;
Raging Grannies, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 783

Now is the time to take the initiative and restore the control of our collective future to democratic governments.: -- Jim Loughery, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 467

[T]he delay of the MAI could be a threshold event in changing the direction of global economic development toward a world view of social justice, controlled by a democratic global political institution.

-- Doug Tedford, Prince George and District Labour Council, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 465

A rising number of Canadian government laws are being challenged by NAFTA. These cases make it clear to see that it is far too soon for our country to negotiate further trade agreements until the potential damage of the present ones is clearly determined and corrected.: -- Dianne Taylor, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 541

In British Columbia we would like to see a real emphasis on local job creation, support for small business and support for community-based development.... If we have international investment, let's have it coming in according to our rules.: -- Ann Godderis, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 508

People want the world to be run by the people they elect, not by executives of global corporations. So, quite simply, international trade and investments must respect that fact.: -- Donna Macdonald, Councillor, City of Nelson, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 519

[A]greements...must be based on the rights of citizens and their governments, not on the rights of corporations.: -- Donna Macdonald, Councillor, City of Nelson, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 519

Ladies and gentlemen, we don't need the multilateral agreement on investment. We don't need it -- period.: -- Greg Daniels, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 685

Like Mark Antony at the death of Caesar, I come not to praise, amend or change the MAI but to help bury it forever.: -- Francis (Buddy) DeVito, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 504

[I]f you think that you're too small to make a significant difference in these preponderant issues, just remember how difficult it is if you're in a bed with a mosquito.: -- Francis (Bud) Godderis, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 507

"If the federal government were really serious about furthering prosperity in Canada, they ought to be investing in education and a healthy workforce" -- not messing around with trade deals.: -- Shane Koscielniak, Council of Canadians, quoting John Ralston Saul,
Burnaby, Mar. 12, 1999, p. 879

This time we must sever the head and bury the monster known as the MAI for good.: -- Charles Fraser, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 486

[T]he MAI should be discarded and...MAI-style provisions [should] be removed from the NAFTA....: -- Alvin Domes, Prince George, Feb. 18, 1999, p. 496

[T]ake the case of a Walt Disney 101 Dalmations outfit, retailing at $19.99.... The Haitian women who sew this garment are paid only 6 cents. Clearly international standards such as corporation codes of conduct, which can be independently monitored, are needed to ensure compliance with recognized and agreed international standards.: -- William Boyd, Kelowna, Mar. 10, 1999, p. 759

There's plenty of time to negotiate a strong made-in-Canada, good-for-Canada and especially a good-for-this-planet global economic union.: -- Hugo Sutmoller, Victoria, Mar. 3, 1999, p. 629

[I]t's time for politicians and other decision-makers to step back and negotiate a new agreement on an entirely new premise...that the first concern of citizens must be the welfare of all their citizens, not just their investors....: -- Joan Spira, Burke Mountain Naturists, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 661

[W[hat is being developed here in B.C. in terms of fair trade principles will play an important rule nationally and internationally....: -- Phillip Legg, British Columbia Federation of Labour, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 667

Within an international trade agreement, there must be embedded an effective right to organize -- to form and join unions....: -- Phillip Legg, British Columbia Federation of Labour, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 668

All foreign investment agreements must be arrived at via democratic procedures and with respect for political sovereignty, especially with respect to local regional and national government jurisdictions.: -- Wil Holland, British Columbia Old Age Pensioners Organization, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 673

We welcome, as a church, the prospect of multilateral agreements and global rules that would create a world in which nations are not played off against each other.: -- Rev. Peter Rolston, United Church of Canada, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 675

We are urging the British Columbia government to...form a permanent advisory committee on trade and investment issues.: -- Sabina Iseli-Otto, Council of Canadians and Students Against MAI, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 677

The "World Scientists' Warning to Humanity" is signed by 1,575 scientists, including over one-half of all living Nobel prize recipients. [It says]... "A new ethic is required, a new attitude toward...caring for ourselves and for the earth....": -- George Hart, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 679

The MAI...provides us with an opportunity to universalize our standards and demonstrate world leadership.: -- Richard Papiernik, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 680

No investor can be allowed to claim compensation for lost profits because they were required to meet certain standards or policies designed by a domestic government to meet a certain public good, like full employment. These democratic principles must be written right into the agreements.: -- Barry Baskin, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 685

[T]he need has never been more pressing and apparent for a binding, international framework for the conduct of transnational corporations -- to require financial transparency to stem capital flight, abolish offshore tax havens, tax financial speculation and make polluters pay for their crime.: -- Robert Hagman, Council of Canadians, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 544

It is now time to reverse...the public perception of government impotence. Governments, not corporations, are sovereign and have the right and responsibility...to ensure that the economy serves the needs of the people and the Earth.: -- Robert Hagman, Council of Canadians, Courtenay, Mar. 2, 1999, p. 544

Any future negotiations should...promote greater economic stability and enhance human rights, labour standards, [and] environmental sustainability....: -- Greg McDade, VanCity Savings Credit Union, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 767

A new, more balanced approach to foster greater social and economic stability is needed throughout the world. [This]...not only would provide greater financial certainty for international investors but would benefit ordinary citizens around the world.: -- Greg McDade, VanCity Savings Credit Union, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 768

[T]he Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the various economic and social charters and the charters that are being developed on the environment are the basis that we've got to build on when we look at rules around economies.: -- Ann Godderis, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 508

Fifty years [after]...the Universal Declaration of Human Rights...we still need a universally accepted pattern of rules for international trade and investment...which give primary place to the needs of human security.: -- Hugh Demptster, Vancouver, Mar. 11, 1999, p. 797

One of the positive outcomes of the MAI is that people are now talking.... [N]o matter what new form the investment issues take...we will be here.: -- Ava Waxman, Surrey, Mar. 4, 1999, p. 647

Let's have a race to the top, not to the bottom.: -- Gladys Brown, Nelson, Feb. 23, 1999, p. 504

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