Dear Friends

Security Prosperity Partnership Leadership Summit August 9th and 10th Urgent action required-

On August 9th and 10th the leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico will be meeting in Guadalajara Mexico to discuss progress on the Security Prosperity Partnership (SPP).

In Mexico figures that is where they were going to hold it after the US army has entered Mexico under the disguise of a drug war.


Most Canadians know nothing about this meeting let alone the SPP, but are numbers are growing. That’s because the people behind the SPP would like to keep us all in the dark.

Following the shock of 9-11, right wing political and business leaders have pushed the Security Prosperity Partnership. Negotiating away from public scrutiny, they say it is the way to keep trade flowing between the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The North American Competitiveness Council (NACC) made up of thirty of the largest corporations in North America are deciding how to harmonize regulations and standards between the three countries without any involvement from groups representing citizens, labour or the environment.
The SPP process has by-passed the parliamentary system, there has been little media coverage and no public debate about whether this is a good thing for Canada.
The SPP undermines our democratic rights and the ability of our elected representatives to pass laws and regulations that safeguard the environment, protect workers rights and control the economy in the interest of ordinary citizens.
The SPP threatens the sovereignty of all three countries through the deep integration of military, security structures and regulatory regimes. Our Parliamentary democracy could become an empty shell.

In May, I attended a Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce luncheon with American Consul General Phillip Chicola. I asked him whether President Obama was going to continue with the Security Prosperity Partnership model of deep integration with only the large multi national corporations involved in the process. His response was that Obama might change the name but the process of deep integration would continue in its current form.
President Obama promised in February 2008 that all future North American leaders summits “will be conducted with a level of transparency that represents the close ties among our three countries,” and that he “will seek the active and open involvement of citizens, labor, the private sector and non-governmental organizations in setting the agenda and making progress.” Stephen Harper has made no such commitment and the SPP summit is veiled in secrecy again this year.

At the 2007 SPP summit in Montebello Quebec, I marked the occasion by videotaping three undercover police officers with masks, rocks and bottles trying to incite violence and posted it on youtube. The video became an international news story but the SPP was still not properly discussed in the media.