Harpers decision to let China buy Canadian tar sands is bad for Canada and the world. PM Harper announced on Friday at 5pm, that he will allow CNOOC, Chinas state-owned oil company, to take over Nexen. This takeover puts 3-6 billion barrels oil in CNOOCs hands, and is a sell-out of Canadian resources with no accountability from China regarding our environment and Canadian jobs. Harper is now planning to pass the Canada-China Foreign Investment Protection Act (FIPA), a major new trade deal which would grant China unprecedented powers to Chinese corporations that own Canadian natural resources. If FIPA passes, CNOOC will be able to sue Canadian governments in secret tribunals if our government does anything to counter Chinas growing interests including common sense environmental protections and job creation efforts. FIPA would be more dangerous than NAFTA. Canada has already paid hundreds of millions on penalties from lawsuits launched under NAFTA and is currently being sued by another US corporation because Quebec placed a temporary moratorium on fracking to study its controversial health and safety impacts. If FIFA passes, the door will be wide open for CNOOC and other Chinese corporations to do even more and we taxpayers will pay. PM Harper must protect Canadian democracy and natural resources from corporate greed. Now that he has allowed this destructive takeover of Nexen, he must not pass the secretive and extreme FIPA or we will pay for it for many years to come. Please write to your MPs and tell them to not approve this very bad deal for Canada.
Bonnie Lesky