Take Action on April 1, 2008
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Stop TILMA!
Mar 13, 2008, 1:03:19 PM3/13/08
to TILMA-BC
Dear All,
It's been 1 year since the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility
Agreement (TILMA) was forced onto the provinces of BC and Alberta. And
there's 1 year left before the transition period is over.
On April 1, 2008, the Council of Canadians regional office and the
Stop TILMA coalition want to challenge the myth of trade barriers that
been manufactured by the provincial government. It's time for
communities across BC to affirm that we are not fools to TILMA's
corporate driven
smokescreen. And it is important that we let the provincial government
know that we don't believe their rhetoric on so called inter-
provincial trade barriers.
What a year it has been! Much has happened over the past year to stop
TILMA from taking hold in our communities. In July 2007,
Saskatchewan's Calvert and Manitoba's Doer governments opposed joining
the TILMA. In January 2008, the newly elected provincial election in
Saskatchewan again said NO to TILMA. A strong summer of public outcry
around TILMA
culminated at the Union of BC Municipalities convention in September
2007. Participants in the UBCM's TILMA workshop delivered a strong
anti-TILMA tone to the minister responsible for the pact. Several
hundred delegates also voted to support the anti-TILMA motion, giving
the UBCM a strong bargaining position to keep the TILMA from hurting
municipalities. The enforcement mechanism of Bill 17 died at the end
of the fall session and so the government is not able to pass its
TILMA legislation. Council chapters have laid a great foundation of
anti-TILMA
work in local communities.
To ring in April Fools 2008, the Council of Canadians chapter in
Golden BC is taking on a serious mission. They are hitting the
pavement, picking up their magnifying glasses, and driving to the BC
and Alberta boarder in search of inter-provincial trade barriers. Will
they be able
to track them down?
Keep reading below to find out how you can join them in taking action
on April 1, 2008!
* What trade barriers? *
Those favoring TILMA say there are so many barriers to trade and
investment that Albertans are not interested in cross boarder business
with British Columbians. TILMA's cheerleaders have been asked what
barriers to trade exist between the two provinces and there has been
no answer on the question on why such a heavy-handed agreement is
needed.
Minister Colin Hansen uses the same example over and over again to
symbolize the need for TILMA. A truck from Saskatchewan restacked hay
at BC/AB border because of different stacking regulations between the
provinces. In a federal system, provinces have the right to make laws
and regulations that protect the public interest and the environment.
Trucking standards are different in the mountainous BC than in the
flat Saskatchewan. This is not a restriction to trade but a safety
measure that makes common sense.
Most credible trade research demonstrates there are very few obstacles
to trade and investment among provinces. What corporate Canada views
as obstacles to trade are actually labour standards and environmental
regulations. Proponents of these interprovincial deals have not been
able to make a compelling case for the need to eliminate so-called
trade barriers or even identify them. TILMA is a solution in search of
a problem.
*** Take Action on Tuesday April 1, 2008 ***
There are several actions you can take on April 1, 2008 to show the
provincial government that the myth of so called interprovincial trade
barriers is made up by fools.
* Phone your MLA on April 1, 2008 *
Call your MLA's in Victoria to ask them about TILMA and trade
barriers. Then schedule a meeting for your chapter to hear your MLA's
views on TILMA.
To find your MLA's contact information in Victoria, check:
http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm
Questions you can ask your MLA:
- What barriers to trade exist between BC and Alberta?
- How is trade between the two provinces currently impacted?
- How do you think TILMA will help trade and investment between
the two provinces?
- There are no customs stations, different passports between the
two provinces so what is stopping the movement of goods and services?
* Visit your city council on April 1, 2008 *
There are two important actions to take with city council.
1-This mock TILMA action is perfect for April Fools! Get your chapter
to dress up as Alberta investors (suits, ties, cowboy hats and all)
and head down to city hall to sue your local government. We've
prepared a document that you can print off, fill out and hand out to
councillors. Download it here: http://tinyurl.com/35bqhp
The sheet is designed to be a notice of legal action. There is a part
for you to fill in that will require that you go over city council
minutes to find policies and decisions that could be in contravention
to TILMA. For example, one city councillor recently told me that his
city
approved the purchase of a forklift from a local supplier, even though
it was not the lowest bid. Also the recent proposal from North
Vancouver city council to ban drive-thrus could be perceived as
restrictive to investment. This notice of legal action can then be
delivered to your city council members. Have fun with this action!
2- Call your city council and register to make a presentation on
TILMA, updating your local government on UBCM negotiations. The UBCM
presentation at the Metro Vancouver meeting demonstrates that the
province is not listening to local governments. Burnaby Mayor Derrick
Corrigan expressed frustration with the negotiators saying that they
are "not nearly as adamant as the motion would have expected."
Community activists need to stress the serious nature of the UBCM
resolution and of TILMA.
As part of either action, request that your city council pass a
resolution for their upcoming local government association meeting
demanding that the UBCM follow through on the important resolution
from 2007. Last year 4 out of 5 area associations passed resolutions
on TILMA
started the momentum leading up to the UBCM. This follow up on the
UBCM negotiation process will allow the UBCM to know that this is
still a major priority for communities across BC.
You can see sample resolutions here:
http://tinyurl.com/yu6p8h
To find out more about your area association go here:
http://www.civicnet.bc.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp?PageID=89
If you do plan to make a formal presentation to your city council,
please contact us for presentations and power point tools.
In either case, call the media and let them know that you are taking
action. We'll provide a sample/template press release, once you let us
know about your action. We can also connect you with stop TILMA
activists in your community!
Please forward this email on and contact the Council of Canadians
office in Vancouver to hook up with other activists in your community,
and for additional media support.
Best,
Carleen
(and Caelie at the Stop TILMA Coalition - stop...@gmail.com, check
out:
http://groups.google.com/group/stoptilma/ for more information!)
Carleen Pickard
BC/Yukon Regional Organizer/Council of Canadians
#700- 207 W. Hastings St.,
Vancouver BC V6B 1H7
t. 604.688.8846/1.888.566.3888
It's been 1 year since the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility
Agreement (TILMA) was forced onto the provinces of BC and Alberta. And
there's 1 year left before the transition period is over.
On April 1, 2008, the Council of Canadians regional office and the
Stop TILMA coalition want to challenge the myth of trade barriers that
been manufactured by the provincial government. It's time for
communities across BC to affirm that we are not fools to TILMA's
corporate driven
smokescreen. And it is important that we let the provincial government
know that we don't believe their rhetoric on so called inter-
provincial trade barriers.
What a year it has been! Much has happened over the past year to stop
TILMA from taking hold in our communities. In July 2007,
Saskatchewan's Calvert and Manitoba's Doer governments opposed joining
the TILMA. In January 2008, the newly elected provincial election in
Saskatchewan again said NO to TILMA. A strong summer of public outcry
around TILMA
culminated at the Union of BC Municipalities convention in September
2007. Participants in the UBCM's TILMA workshop delivered a strong
anti-TILMA tone to the minister responsible for the pact. Several
hundred delegates also voted to support the anti-TILMA motion, giving
the UBCM a strong bargaining position to keep the TILMA from hurting
municipalities. The enforcement mechanism of Bill 17 died at the end
of the fall session and so the government is not able to pass its
TILMA legislation. Council chapters have laid a great foundation of
anti-TILMA
work in local communities.
To ring in April Fools 2008, the Council of Canadians chapter in
Golden BC is taking on a serious mission. They are hitting the
pavement, picking up their magnifying glasses, and driving to the BC
and Alberta boarder in search of inter-provincial trade barriers. Will
they be able
to track them down?
Keep reading below to find out how you can join them in taking action
on April 1, 2008!
* What trade barriers? *
Those favoring TILMA say there are so many barriers to trade and
investment that Albertans are not interested in cross boarder business
with British Columbians. TILMA's cheerleaders have been asked what
barriers to trade exist between the two provinces and there has been
no answer on the question on why such a heavy-handed agreement is
needed.
Minister Colin Hansen uses the same example over and over again to
symbolize the need for TILMA. A truck from Saskatchewan restacked hay
at BC/AB border because of different stacking regulations between the
provinces. In a federal system, provinces have the right to make laws
and regulations that protect the public interest and the environment.
Trucking standards are different in the mountainous BC than in the
flat Saskatchewan. This is not a restriction to trade but a safety
measure that makes common sense.
Most credible trade research demonstrates there are very few obstacles
to trade and investment among provinces. What corporate Canada views
as obstacles to trade are actually labour standards and environmental
regulations. Proponents of these interprovincial deals have not been
able to make a compelling case for the need to eliminate so-called
trade barriers or even identify them. TILMA is a solution in search of
a problem.
*** Take Action on Tuesday April 1, 2008 ***
There are several actions you can take on April 1, 2008 to show the
provincial government that the myth of so called interprovincial trade
barriers is made up by fools.
* Phone your MLA on April 1, 2008 *
Call your MLA's in Victoria to ask them about TILMA and trade
barriers. Then schedule a meeting for your chapter to hear your MLA's
views on TILMA.
To find your MLA's contact information in Victoria, check:
http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm
Questions you can ask your MLA:
- What barriers to trade exist between BC and Alberta?
- How is trade between the two provinces currently impacted?
- How do you think TILMA will help trade and investment between
the two provinces?
- There are no customs stations, different passports between the
two provinces so what is stopping the movement of goods and services?
* Visit your city council on April 1, 2008 *
There are two important actions to take with city council.
1-This mock TILMA action is perfect for April Fools! Get your chapter
to dress up as Alberta investors (suits, ties, cowboy hats and all)
and head down to city hall to sue your local government. We've
prepared a document that you can print off, fill out and hand out to
councillors. Download it here: http://tinyurl.com/35bqhp
The sheet is designed to be a notice of legal action. There is a part
for you to fill in that will require that you go over city council
minutes to find policies and decisions that could be in contravention
to TILMA. For example, one city councillor recently told me that his
city
approved the purchase of a forklift from a local supplier, even though
it was not the lowest bid. Also the recent proposal from North
Vancouver city council to ban drive-thrus could be perceived as
restrictive to investment. This notice of legal action can then be
delivered to your city council members. Have fun with this action!
2- Call your city council and register to make a presentation on
TILMA, updating your local government on UBCM negotiations. The UBCM
presentation at the Metro Vancouver meeting demonstrates that the
province is not listening to local governments. Burnaby Mayor Derrick
Corrigan expressed frustration with the negotiators saying that they
are "not nearly as adamant as the motion would have expected."
Community activists need to stress the serious nature of the UBCM
resolution and of TILMA.
As part of either action, request that your city council pass a
resolution for their upcoming local government association meeting
demanding that the UBCM follow through on the important resolution
from 2007. Last year 4 out of 5 area associations passed resolutions
on TILMA
started the momentum leading up to the UBCM. This follow up on the
UBCM negotiation process will allow the UBCM to know that this is
still a major priority for communities across BC.
You can see sample resolutions here:
http://tinyurl.com/yu6p8h
To find out more about your area association go here:
http://www.civicnet.bc.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp?PageID=89
If you do plan to make a formal presentation to your city council,
please contact us for presentations and power point tools.
In either case, call the media and let them know that you are taking
action. We'll provide a sample/template press release, once you let us
know about your action. We can also connect you with stop TILMA
activists in your community!
Please forward this email on and contact the Council of Canadians
office in Vancouver to hook up with other activists in your community,
and for additional media support.
Best,
Carleen
(and Caelie at the Stop TILMA Coalition - stop...@gmail.com, check
out:
http://groups.google.com/group/stoptilma/ for more information!)
Carleen Pickard
BC/Yukon Regional Organizer/Council of Canadians
#700- 207 W. Hastings St.,
Vancouver BC V6B 1H7
t. 604.688.8846/1.888.566.3888
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