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News
Federal Politics

Harper OKs Controversial Investment Treaty with China

Opponents long argued FIPA will hand resource control to Chinese companies.

Jeremy Nuttall 12 Sep 2014TheTyee.ca

Jeremy J. Nuttall is The Tyee's Parliament Hill reporter in Ottawa. Find his previous stories here.

This coverage of Canadian national issues is made possible because of generous financial support from our Tyee Builders.
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Trade Minister Ed Fast signs the FIPA agreement in Russia, September 2012. Photo: Government of Canada.

The Harper government has officially ratified a controversial trade deal with China, it announced today.

The Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement will come into effect on Oct. 1, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Trade and Development.

Since its 2012 signing in Vladivostok, Russia, the deal has been subject to controversy, with opposition members calling it a "flawed" agreement.

In a news release, International Trade Minister Ed Fast said the deal will "protect" Canadian business interests in China.

Others, such as Osgoode law professor and investment treaty expert Gus Van Harten, have argued that it will hurt Canadians by giving too much control over resources to Chinese companies, many of them state-owned.

'This is so disappointing': Hupacasath rep

The Hupacasath First Nation on Vancouver Island launched a failed challenge to stop the agreement from coming into effect on the basis Ottawa did not consult with the nation before signing the pact.

The court decision is up for appeal and a decision is expected soon, but the nation's Brenda Sayers said she now fears there may be no recourse.

She criticized the government and Minister Fast for not allowing the band's case to go through the court system before ratifying the deal.

"Ed Fast has said himself a few times that it was a matter before the courts," Sayers said. "This is so disappointing."

The federal New Democrats have argued the deal will place Canada at the whims of Chinese business for 31 years, and in the past have demanded the government abandon the deal. [Tyee]

Read more: Federal Politics

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