Who's backing TILMA?

[Stop TILMA!]

From the COUNCIL OF CANADIANS:

Dear chapter activists,

A media release issued today states, "On the first anniversary of the
historic trade agreement between Alberta and British Columbia, a
national coalition of ten business, industry and professional
associations is urging the federal and provincial governments to
cooperate in finding ways to strengthen the economic union."

The coalition consists of the:

Canadian Bankers Association,
Canadian Chamber of Commerce,
Canadian Council of Chief Executives,
Canadian Federation of Independent Business,
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters,
Canadian Petroleum Products Institute,
Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association,
Certified General Accountants Association of Canada,
Dairy Processors Association of Canada,
Vegetable Oil Industry of Canada.

The media releases notes, "The internal trade coalition is
recommending that Ottawa take the lead in improving trade across
Canada by legislating a set of open trade principles and establishing
a standing internal trade tribunal to ensure that all parties adhere
to those principles. Representatives of the ten associations say they
are encouraged by the year-old Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility
Agreement (TILMA) between Alberta and British Columbia. Moreover, the
coalition notes with interest the recently launched trade negotiations
between Ontario and Quebec."

As you may also know, a March 28 media release stated, "Fédération des
chambres de commerce du Quebec and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
have entered into an agreement of cooperation in order to facilitate
improved interprovincial trade and business relations...In November 2007
the governments of Ontario and Quebec entered into an agreement to
eliminate trade barriers and improve labour mobility between the
provinces. In order to enhance the political accord, the Chamber
partnership will begin by identifying some of the most common trade
impediments between the two provinces and will provide concrete
solutions towards their elimination."

To read Council of Canadians' fact sheets, backgrounders and more on
the TILMA issue, please go to http://www.canadians.org/DI/issues/TILMA/index.html.

Today's media release from the pro-TILMA groups can be read at
http://newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2008/01/c9059.html.