How can we as Canadians stand by.........

If the above article is true and I have no reason to believe it isn't, how can we as Canadians stand by and let this happen? We should be rioting in the streets and if Harper, with his gang of thieves and liars refuse to come out and address the issue in a meaningful way, "Leader" and his cohorts must be dragged from their offices and thrown into the street.

Does this sound like the raving of a madman, the bitterness of a left leaning voter who was defeated (robbed) in the last election, an ill-informed voter who does not understand the issue or........ Does it sound like a true patriot who cannot believe what our Country has become?

The “right” would have us believe that a person like me is only an “unwashed lefty” who knows not what he speaks and has no relevance in any meaningful conversation pertaining to Harper, politics or even a water cooler chat about the upcoming weekend weather.

It is more than just a shame, that to be able to compete with the total and utter disdain that Harper directs towards Canadian Citizens, this tone of voice must be used.

Unless we unite in voice and action at the strongest level, any resemblance of what we as a Democratic Nation were, up until a few short years ago, will be destroyed and forever gone.

God bless Canada and God bless those who stand and defend it.

another brilliant article

Another brilliant article by Andrew Nikiforuk. What a superb writer and investigative journalist.

Harper terrifies me. Harper is dismantling Canada around our ears and to what benefit? hastening the rapture?

@Ed Deak: you called this from the get go. As I am writing this comment, I am wondering about jackboots at the door and when Canadians will start to be "disappeared".

Well we have to stand up. The elites have never protected ordinary folk.

On another note, I have just finished reading Mr. Nikiforuk's outstanding book "The Empire of the Beetle", which I can't recommend enough.

A fascinating read which presents the big overview and the impact on communities and how ordinary people (unlike the bureaucracies and corporations) recognize what is going on and work to address it.

I'm looking forward to buying and reading Mr. Nikiforuk's other books. And listening to him speak next time he's back in my town.

Creepy Stephen

An excellent and incredibly depressing article about this frightening man. His vision of Canada should horrify all thinking Canadians. The fact that it apparently doesn't is also horrifying. Its a complete mystery to me how he managed to bamboozle approximately a third of the voting public. I know many people who voted Conservative in the last election and lots of them think he's doing a fabulous job ("tough on crime" seems to be their primary argument). Others profess to be shocked at some of the things he's doing ("I wouldn't have voted for him had I known ... : said several, to which I want to scream, "Were you not paying attention??")

On a purely personal note to the Tyee: please PLEASE stop illustrating your articles on Harper with photographs of Harper. We all know what he looks like. When his smirking dead-eyed visage appeared on my screen this morning I physically flinched and spilled coffee on the keyboard. Not a pleasant way to start the day.

Thank you Andrew and The Tyee!

If only mainstream media would reveal the truth about how the Harper regime is destroying Canada to boost profits for the one percent. The irony of a supposed conservative government in bed with the capitalistic communist government of China is as thick as bitumen. What in the world can we do to reverse Canada's slide into kleptocracy and the loss of our democratic values?

sounds like a plea for sanity

There are many, many disturbing facts and conclusions in this article. If realized, these insane deals will change Canada forever, making us mere repositories of the resources we once owned, having signed them over to an increasingly insatiable 1.3 billion Chinese.

This *is* treasonous. In my view there is little difference between selling state secrets and selling off state assets, particularly in the manner that Andrew has reported with his reference to the Gus Van Harten article.

It's hard to imagine any Canadian would negotiate in such a manner. How are Harper's feet being held to the fire that he would negotiate so poorly on behalf of Canadians? Is he simply working for Alberta oil?

The mass-media won't report

The mass-media won't report this cuz they're a bunch of weasels in cahoots with the 'chairman'. Our Governments are a bunch of economic treasonous bastards. See you all in Victoria on Monday October 22.

So where are the political opposition?

The Liberals, NDP, Elizabeth May?

What does Justin Trudeau think?

Why is this liquidaton of Canada not asked about in the mainstream media?

Here the Author is preaching to the converted, except for the few right wing (nuts) who speak of cheap deli meat-bologny!

The Harperites...

would never pull this off without mainstream media complicity.

This media is owned by the 1% and they seldom take issue with any efforts that will enhance the system that helps the rich to acquire even more riches.

Mainstream media deliberately created ignorance is one of the greatest problems we face.

Hey hey this is our leader

Hey hey this is our leader and he was voted in by you, you Canadians. Does'nt that tell you anything? He's doing it for us! Us Canadians. He's our leader and we should never doubt him. He's a Christian isn't he. Hopefully we all (us Canadians) get Chinese military caps with little Red Stars pasted on them. Oh I just can't wait!!
Just a minute now. I don't know? Well I'm not really sure? But If were going to sell out I think I'drather be an American then a Chinese Man? What about you??
Is this what they call collateral damage?
Yep you Da MAN Mr. Harper

I just wonder how long petroleum will be important here

Fleets of trucks are converting to natural gas and it won't be long before many convert their cars to run on it.

"North American Shale Gas Resources Estimated at 3.3 Quadrillion Cubic Feet (Qcf), NGI Reports"

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121008006260/en/North-American-Shale-Gas-Resources-Estimated-3.3

China is planning to convert their coal to chemicals and liquid fuels. By the time we get the infrastructure built to export the bitumen, I bet they won't be interested anymore.
http://www.mining.com/china-to-convert-coal-into-gas-for-urban-energy-needs-34073/

Is petroleum becoming redundant?

Fleets of trucks are converting to natural gas and it won't be long before many convert their cars to run on it.

"North American Shale Gas Resources Estimated at 3.3 Quadrillion Cubic Feet (Qcf), NGI Reports"

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121008006260/en/North-American-Shale-Gas-Resources-Estimated-3.3

China is planning to convert their coal to chemicals and liquid fuels. By the time we get the infrastructure built to export the bitumen, I bet they won't be interested anymore.
http://www.mining.com/china-to-convert-coal-into-gas-for-urban-energy-needs-34073/

Harper is one scary dude.

The guy just doesn't believe in democracy. Oh,he gets elected so democracy is good once every four years but after that he doesn't care what the public thinks, he knows best. He never needs to bother to check if he has support or not. Like most despots, Harper seems to believe that his religious belief or moral compass has nothing to say about deceit and lies and just generally screwing over an entire country.

I wonder what would happen if the opposition collectively let it be known that any deal, if not in the public interest will be repealed once the Tories are gone. Make it very clear that the deal is not endorsed by the Canadian public. So they file a law suit in China and the Chinese court awards them compensation. So what? You tell them to get stuffed.

Ed Deak's description of Harper is dead on. Harper has to go.

Insane

I agree with thunter: How this can not be called treason....economic or otherwise?

This odious act gives away our sovereignty, the control of our own resources, even control over our own governmental policy, and it will greatly increase the level of corruption in this country.

But of all the brilliant revealing insights presented here by Andrew, this alone stands out to me:

"Moreover the treaty gives Chinese state owned companies "the right to full protection and security from public opposition."

Any Canadian reading that should realize what Chairman Harper and his gang just gave away. He gave away the rights of the Canadian public - our freedom of speech, our right to protest. Our right to speak up and defend our country and protect our children. He just gave away our civil liberties, and those of our children and grandchildren. He has sold out the freedom of Canadians....our hard fought for "lest we forget" freedoms... to 'protect' and serve Chinese companies.

This is insanity, treachery - no matter how you read the tea leaves.

As citizens at this critical October moment, we know the avenues available to protest this, and to bring this to the attention of those who still may not yet know
about this. I suggest we act very quickly.

Outstanding analysis by Andrew Niforuk. Thanks, Tyee, for bringing this issue front and center. And special thanks to Osgoode law professor Gus Van Harten for catching this one and for his careful scrutiny. Also to Ed Deak, who has continually warned us.

Enbridge Wants to Challenge the "Foreign Funding" of Enviros?

The insane thing is that what we are spending time bickering about supposed 'foreign funded radicals' fighting to strengthen environmental legislation and preserve our beautiful landscape while these kinds of back room deals are being made.

http://www.desmogblog.com/2012/10/10/foreign-funding-so-glad-you-asked-enbridge-renews-attack-against-canadian-environmental-groups

We should all sign Ms. May's petition and help bolster the fight for an emergency debate in parliament.

The sad thing abouit these comments

Is that so many of them actually expect the 'media' to call attention to treason. As an older guy, I've watched the fifth estate wither from a robust watchdog to a sniggering lapdog over about a 25 year period. There is the odd journalist among the typists, but for the most part, it is their job to retype press releases issued by authorities, and to repeat and reinforce the standard fibs. I work in the Industry and see it every day: 'match this story' is key to how 'independent' typists function. An 'editor' tells a 'journalist/typist' to get a local angle on the fib, and nothing short of support for the original fib will do. The continued reinforcement of ill conceived and un-investigated nonsense released by governments, their agents, and the owners of the World.
This author, and this media outlet, are a rare and nearly unique stream of investigation and reportage which is apparently free of the World owners influence. For now.
Thanks for your intelligent analysis.

Write the PM

I strongly recommend writing the PM on this. A copy of my email here:

Dear Mr Prime Minister,

I'm writing to voice my concern about the proposed takeover of Nexen by the Chinese government, the implicit danger I feel the Northern Gateway Pipeline poses to the people of British Columbia and Alberta, and my personal displeasure at what I consider to be ugly, ill-advised, and potentially disastrous decisions by yourself and your party. I've CC'ed my MP Libby Davies here.

Sacrificing the energy-sovereignty of Canada is an idea you should not be entertaining. Our natural resources are one of our greatest assets as a country, and your willingness (enthusiasm?) to hand control of our sovereignty over to any foreign power (let alone one with a disgusting record on human rights and total disregard for international criticism) is appalling. Please reconsider this plan of action. Do not hand control of Nexen over to China.

The Northern Gateway Pipeline poses a sincere risk to the people and to the environment of British Columbia and Alberta. The companies (Enbridge in particular) involved in the bidding for this project have a disastrous environmental record - and the plan to run a pipeline through hundreds of kilometres of pristine country, and then to ship oil on tankers out of unspoiled, culturally significant, extremely hazardous coastline is baffling to me. Please reconsider this plan.

The Northern Gateway Pipleline, combined with the proposed Chinese takeover of what is our natural heritage as a country, and not yours to give away, Mr. Harper, poses an even larger risk to our economies if, as the Chinese takeover of Nexen would imply, the plan is to ship raw oil over to China and not to process it in Canada. If you are insistent on selling off our natural resources, I insist that the profits from it must be kept in Canada. In British Columbia, we have learned all too well the folly of selling off raw logs to be processed elsewhere. A read through the excellent "Virtual Clearcut: the way things are in my home town" by Brian Fawcett from Prince George would be a good step towards educating yourself on the folly of gutting our natural resources to the exclusive benefit of other countries.

A look over the history of logging in British Columbia - the disappearance of the Canadian-owned mills, the disastrous effects of NAFTA on the softwood lumber industry - would be a good education for you, who seems so intent on repeating the foolish mistakes made here already. Please don't hand control of our precious natural resources to a brutish foreign power, and export the long-term profits from them in doing so. This is bad economics and bad foreign policy.

Please reconsider these foolhardy actions and consider me unimpressed with yourself and with your party. Do not allow foreign control of our natural resources.

The profits of the natural resources of Canada must be kept in Canada, and for Canadians.

Chairman Harper and the Chinese Sell-Out

Boy and I thought The movie satire The Campaign was fictious. I guess I was wrong about the movie.

Chairman Harper and the Chinese Sell-Out

Boy and I thought The movie satire The Campaign was fictious. I guess I was wrong about the movie.

send an email letter to your MP

If you click the "Elizabeth May" link in the article, it takes you to a Green Party page where you can click the link for "Take Action Now!". This will give you an opportunity to write an email to your MP (selectable from a drop down box) and/or sign Ms. May's online petition. No Green Party affiliation here - I just think this is far too important an issue. Hopefully the Green Party will track and report the number of letters sent to each MP.

SELL OUTS

This article makes me sick with disgust at Harper and his merry band of treasonous comrades.
I am even more sickened by the apathetic Canadian population who like to speak about the deplorable actions of those in power, but because it might disturb their status quo are reluctant to show any interest or even pass an opinion on the subject...can I still get little Johnny a GI Joe with a kung fu grip at X-mas...yes, well than I dont care, and more importantly...I dont want to care

Half a second to midnight for Canada.

Canadians, if they'd like to remain Canadians, need to read this agreement, and act now:
http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/fipa-apie/china-text-chine.aspx?lang=en&view=d

The provinces, in particular, will lose their constitutional rights. Harper, by making this agreement with China (which China calls the most comprehensive and "hard won" agreement they've entered into) is overstepping federal powers and jurisdiction. If any province or territory wanted to protect their rights for the next 31 years, they would need to mount a constitutional challenge forthwith, to get an injunction against the ratification of this agreement, (set to occur on either October 31 or November 1st). To not do so would be an abdication of provincial responsibility to citizens.

The entire agreement is frightening because it eviscerates our democracy, and removes our ability to control or protect our lands and resources. Article 11 is one of the more troubling clauses within an overall bad agreement for Canadians. It allows for restitution payments to Chinese investors in compensation for losses “owing to war, a state of national emergency, insurrection, riot or other similar events.”

Article 11 preys on Canada at times when our country may already be in a compromised position. If Canada was already at war or engaged in a national emergency, it is unlikely that we would be in a position to pay compensation to Chinese investors who claim losses - in secret arbitration hearings, no less. Juan Fernández-Armesto, Spanish arbitrator, says of arbitration:

"When I wake up at night and think about arbitration, it never ceases to amaze me that sovereign states have agreed to investment arbitration at all" ... "Three private individuals are entrusted with the power to review, without any restriction or appeal procedure, all actions of the government, all decisions of the courts, and all laws and regulations emanating from parliament."

Canadians cannot afford this agreement.

Worst of all, Article 11, in essence, provides a monetary incentive for the government of Canada to suppress its own people in order to avoid compensatory payments. This is chilling - particularly when set against a background of the overall context of the removal of environmental protections (by Bill C-38 and other Harper actions) coupled with Harper's increase of police-state tactics, (such as mandatory sentencing and construction of significant additional incarceration facilities).

Article 11 of Harper's agreement may make it cheaper for the Harper government to imprison Canadians who protest (trying to protect our land and resources) than to secretly have to pay restitution to Chinese investors.

And, it's pretty unlikely that the Chinese government would come to the aid of Canadians, or protest against any insults to democracy.

A navy sub-lieut has now

A navy sub-lieut has now pleaded guilty and may receive a life sentence for selling some papers to the Russians.

Here we have our government, and politicians in general, selling the whole country to the Chinese commies and the other gangs of "wealth creating foreign investors", in secret and they're getting paid for it by us and demand to be called the "right honourable".

I wrote this for the spies who are checking these blogs, letters is the papers, etc. and are making records of the writers, even when they use chickdenshit plume names.

Go on guys tell all this to the Chairman to make him happy and proud.

Ed Deak.

We British Columbians...

It's deja vu all over again.

Haven't we witnessed this type of treasonous governance before?

Brian Mulroney, Ralph Klein, Gordon Campbell?

Harper and Co have the belief that trade with China can create value for both parties. The trouble with their logic is not accounting for what these deals will cost us. This is not an even playing field when you have a desperate government in Canada unable to prevent the next round of global economic recession and eager to make their unrealistic austerity goal come true.

A $34 billion, and growing, annual trade deficit with China is ample evidence that even without this "treaty" there are problems with the Harper Dominionist's economic logic. Are these neo-liberal con artists, beginning with Thatcher, Reagon and Mulroney still believing in the law of "comparative advantage"?

Comparative advantage is about specialization and not diversity and therefore is doomed to failure but not before creating vast poverty, a high level of job losses, ecological destruction and global conflict.

Hopefully the NDP and Ms. May will stoke the fire back in Ottawa when Parliament resumes and bring this treasonous act out into the public realm.

Chairman Harper's strange

Chairman Harper's strange bedfellows - Capitalist Communists

"Neo-Liberal Capitalists Strengthen Control of Chinese Communist Party"

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8925

JAY: So the leadership is transitioning. There's a crisis of sorts. Who's who, and what's happening?

LI: Well, basically, after so many years—let's say three decades—of capitalist transition in China, various social and economic contradiction have accumulated. So, in this context, there has been a debate within the Chinese leadership about the future direction of China, so whether China is going to continue on the path of neoliberal capitalism, or instead there's going to be some serious social reform, there's going to be some redistribution of income to correct the rising inequality. But it now appears that the side that is in favor of neoliberal capitalism has won decisively.

Worth repeating

In the words of thunter, "This *is* treasonous. In my view there is little difference between selling state secrets and selling off state assets, particularly in the manner that Andrew has reported with his reference to the Gus Van Harten article."

The status of Canada

Canada id no longer a "country" It is a Corporation! Corporations operate quite separately than do countries

"Canada is a Corporation Under UK Queen

Check this out. Canada is TRADED in the US Stock Exchange and registered as [ What about the OTHER "ex-colonies"?] :

“…CORPORATE CANADA in USA. This is Canada’s Corporate registered number. 0000230098 CANADA DC SIC: 8880 American Depositary Receipt. Business Address Canadian Embassy 1746 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036…”
—————————————————————————–

Hon. Premiers, MLA’s, MPP’s, MP’s,
MNA’s, & Respected Inhabitants:

G. A. B’s SCHOOL OF THOUGHT
It appears our politicians have a problem defining what a country/nation is: They are both described in the dictionary as being one and the same. Are you all trying to create a mythical name that can be twisted to mean just about anything, so you all can spend the taxpayer money arguing over it, in order to deceive we the people? It appears so.

It appears that this fraudulent government is trying to find a way to prevent the exposure of their fraudulent corrupt actions, of the past two hundred years, by trying to create a new definition that will be accepted, by the mis-informed inhabitants of Canada.

These politicians have no intentions of following International Law, that would require them to honour their promises, by International standards for Sovereignty Rights, They have deceitfully created Canada as a Corporation. “CORPORATE CANADA”, by the directions of the UK Queen, that they all pledge allegiance to. We have been ruled under the UK Queen and her corporate rule, Rules that are legislated without representation, a fiction entity.. And fraudulently posing as our government.

This fiction entity did not request our approval to join the UN, who planed to rule the world, nor did they request our approval when registering Canada as CORPORATE CANADA in USA."

Welcome to the third world

Just like Pakistan, we get to see Chinese workers come in and exploit our natural resources... "but there will still be economic benefit for Canada"...

Yeah, they will be paid less wages, most of which will be sent home, eat food shipped from China, wear Chinese made clothes, use Chinese machinery, and ship the product to China via a foreign owned railroad and Chinese ships built in China. We will benefit in that "our GDP will rise" (just like the export of bitumin) and I suspect but can't prove that they will not ship their excrement back to use as fertilizer.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Chinese+workers+fill+mining+jobs/7366971/story.html

It's just a Second Nation's secret deal

I suspect that First Nations will laugh at this breach of the Canadian Constitution, and will just tell Harper: "We'll see you in court, and you really wont like what we have to remind you"

Suicide seems to be the

Suicide seems to be the second major cause of teenager deaths, after traffic accidents.

Just watched a news item about a 15 year old girl, who committed suicide after years of bullying in different schools.

Just one more victim of bullying at a very critical age.

But neither the politicians,news people, or the doctors who keep on moaning about this tragic fact dare to look at the real causes, while forcibly misdirecting the public's attention to cry over the effects, but ignore the causes.

Our whole economic system and lives are revolving around the criminal propaganda for more and more "competitiveness", which is nothing more than the justification and legalization of bullying against humanity and the ecology, promoted and forced on the world by the priesthood of so called "economists", one of them being our Chairman Harper.

If and when the Chinese communists, or any other of the multinational corporate mafia takes us over and wrecks the lives of millions, it is dismissed with a laugh that the weren't "competitive" and deserved to be destroyed.

Like that poor little, beautiful girl.

How can you fight the crime wave of bullying by teens, when our whole system is built on the justification of it and the kids soak it up from day one?

Ed Deak.

Thank you Lorih20, first

Thank you Lorih20, first chance to look at this China-Canada trade agreement. I examined it (worse than reading one of those app licenses that so many people agree to without reading), it reinforces the reason I didn't want to go into contractual law after graduation.

35 Articles and a number of Annexes, many of wich are not included. But I got the gist of it, despite all the cross-referencing. Really grim.

I then went to Elizabeth May's legal eagles' analysis and I agree with most of it. This is a really bad deal for Canadian democracy and people, much worse than anything in NAFTA, and the fact that Harper would let it pass into law by Nov.1, 2012, without even parliamentary debate on such a huge issue is surely anti-democratic.

Municipalities and provinces will be handcuffed in making their own decisions that may impair potential corporate profits far beyond that neurotoxic gas additive that the Liberals wanted to ban, but could not, due to litigation under NAFTA. This deal is far more insidious, especially considering who ultimately may make decisions outside of Canada. and all this in secret.

I think everyone should sign the Greens' petition, no matter what party one may vote for. Trouble is, with his phoney majority, the Chairman will likely not even acknowledge that so many Canadians oppose his secret deals. Meanwhile he's in Africa, making like the good guy for media photo ops, handing out some aid money, despite his former anti-African stance (he now sees the resources available there).

As to claiming poverty for the reason to cut so many worthwhile programs as he may choose, and then pumping out those very costly and frequent propaganda commercials (National Parks legacy while cuts continue, manufacturing pipe in Ontario, etc., slick BS), paid for by us in taxes (not the Conservative party coffers) is more than ludicrous.

Not a big fan of Diefenbaker, Stanfield, Clark or Mulroney, but I had some respect for them. Absolutely none for these guys, total disdain. Lorih20 is correct to say that we should be afraid.

This is a meaningless treaty

Laws and treaties are only as valid as a community's willingness to be subjugated by them. F**k the international courts and f**k China. Moreover, f**k the fascist pig who signed this into law because it ain't law. Its a goddamn joke and I'm laughing my ass off, as should the rest of Canada. The next Prime Minister, if they have any balls, will tear this contract up and ignore any legal challenge as a laughable attack on Canadian sovereignty signed by a traitorous fascist. If China doesn't like it fine. Sell the assets back to the Canadian state and lets get some state ownership of our own. The only parties who would even remotely consider such an action: the NDP and Greens. Sadly the Greens will never form government in the next election and thus the NDP is our only hope to tear this contract up.

Why the China bashing?

Whatever the problems with selling out to the Chinese it has got to be preferable to cutting a similar deal with the US. The US is an imperial power with overwhelming military superiority and no compunction regarding the use of deadly force to maintain and enhance its power. It is the most dangerous nation on earth. China, on the other hand, may sometimes repress its own citizens but it is also raising the standard of living of an increasing number of them. It is also in no position to assert its rights if we should have second thoughts and pull out of any deals we might make with them. Try doing that with the Americans. I cannot understand why there is such a fuss about selling out to China and no similar fuss about our long standing tradition of selling out to the US and settling for a vulnerable and backward branch plant economy. Do not assume that I support the deal. It's the over the top reaction of Nikiforuk and those that wrote in that was disturbing. I suspect that racism has unconsciously influenced both Nikiforuk and his apoplectic readers.

@Ed Deak

yes, I felt so very, very sorry for the girl who committed suicide and her family and friends.

You're right there is so much pressure on kids to compete. It's all about the "best and the brightest" instead of having a society that works for everyone. The elites constantly strive to erode the sense of community by pitting individuals against each other ("divide and conquer"), like this manufactured war against the boomers.

I see it in my workplace too, we're treated like interchangeable widgets. There is a weird emphasis on leaders and "stars" rather on functioning teams. And that sense of camraderie, of esprit d'corps, is withering away as employees compete to advance their careers and keep their jobs.

The last thing the corporate elite wants to see is aware and active workers or citizens (as per the anti-HST campaign).

Because a united people are the ultimate power.

john r bell "racism" troll

John, John, John - while you made your point, and that is your right, your last sentence calling Andrew Nikiforuk a rascist and his readers apoplectic neither supports your assertion nor endears you to anyone. Get a grip!

The issue is not to sell out

The issue is not to sell out to China, but not to sell out to anybody, because there's absolutely no need for it.

It is a fact that if Chairman Harper has his way, we'll be absorbed by the USA, but in the meantime he's selling out to any and everybody, while calling it "trade" and "efficiency", supported by all good "conservatives" and the priesthood of "economists".

The USA is in big trouble, bankrupt and lives off the fraudulent economic theory now temporarily ruling the world, enforced by a sick military dictatorship.

The same way as empires in the past have used religions to conquer, enslave and rule, until their gods left them hanging. Economic theories are religions, using imaginary values for weapons of conquest.

Happened to Rome, many other empires in history and in our time to Great Britain and the USSR. The only thing we can hope for is that the fall will happen with the same whimper of the Soviets.

No empire, or ruling system, lasts forever, because they run out of energy and people wake up sooner or later and realize that "wealth can not be created only taken" and kick the takers to hell.

When in war, you fight the closest enemy. "Competitiveness" is war, and we're being sold off one way, or another.

Ed Deak.
Ed Deak.

Off....I grew up in an ultra

Off....I grew up in an ultra conservative fascist society and family, who kept on saying: "When we take over, we'll send the peasants back to the farms and pay workers whatever we feel like"

So, I'm very familiar with the thinking of the present, and would be, ruling classes now represented here by the same "conservative" Harper gang.

The interesting part is that right through history, ruling classes have always used religions, now called "wealth creating economic theories", and always promised "freedom" and "prosperity" to their sucker followers, while enslaving and sending them up the scaling ladders to fall to their "heroic" deaths in their service.

Like the 2,000 US and 158 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, blown up for nothing.

The Soviets were supposed to be the ultra egalitarian society, the same way as our "democracy" is ruling us now with hot air promises. Very much like the way suicide bombers are promised quick trip to the 7th level of heaven and into the arms of 52 virgins for killing the "infidel", the other sects of the same religion.

The ultimate achievers in the Soviets were the Stakhanovists. Workers who were killing themselves to produce more and more, the same way our capitalist society, also preaching "freedom of the individual", while knocking off tens of millions every year by starvation, blaming them for not being "productive", in monetary terms.

I wrote on another blog a few years ago, that I was paying the same wages to all of my employees, which horrified some good "conservatives" , claiming that it ruined their "incentives for being more productive".

In other words, the big love affair between our "conservatives" and the Chinese communists is not surprising to any of us who have seen the workings of all ideologies. We have seen and know that the leaderships are always the same people waving different flags and "scriptures" with one hand, while also rattling the same chains of enslavement in their other hands.

Ed Deak.

Why the China Bashing?

Because...they are signatories to FIPPA as is a really dumb Tory Canadian Government. It wouldn't matter if it was any other foreign power. The notion that 6.5 Billion Chinese and their interests are on a level playing field with 40 million Canadians and their interests ever having a hope in hell of competing is laughable.

How did this bunch of dumb Harperites ever get elected?

Incarcerate the real Canadian traitors: the harper admin.

"...If China doesn't like it fine. Sell the assets back to the Canadian state..." hell no, make china pay for thinking we would just bend over and seize it all - nationalize all natural resources, period. Make sure that investors in such as Enbridge lose it all also for thinking that their investment could be used to compromise our Canadian vision and values. Incarcerate the treasonous fascist harper regime NOW.

Democracy is dead

Maybe I'm being too pessimistic but I think it's too late to change any of this. The top 1% in the world now control 40% of the world's wealth and they want more. The Rothschild's have an estimated half of the world's wealth. The super rich control the great militaries and make or break world leaders. So if they want our natural resources they'll just come and take it. Of course so called "leaders" like Harper, Mulroney, Campbell, Bush, make it easier for them to take what they want when they want it. The days of any true democracies on this planet are over.

Nothing is lost until you

Nothing is lost until you give up........

Ed Deak

Nobody betrays better

"Both the trade deal and Nexen sell-off prove that no one betrays Canadian interests better than a right-wing prime minister beholden to the interests of Big Oil and the myths of free trade." ~ Andrew Nikiforuk

So true.

But he isn't very clever.

Between FIPPA and thumbing his nose at US security concerns over the Nexen deal The Chairman has now placed himself in a precarious and some would say 'personally vulnerable' position between his two heavyweight dancing partners.

He is going to have to tap dance pretty fast....

All the while looking over his shoulder.

And ducking.

John Bell's points are good ones

I oppose everything Stephen Harper is doing to this great, wonderful land.

I also thing that Mr. Nikiforuk has, overall, been doing a tremendously fantastic job in terms of the petro-economic debate.

That being said, I have to agree with Mr. Bell that the arguments here are being over-leveraged with base China bashing.

I have no interest in defending China. I am concerned, however, with the use of "us versus them" emotions to leverage what should be a rational debate.

Moreover, it is interesting to note that Stephen Harper (through a combination of propaganda and creep) has actually been able to win over the Chinese vote in Vancouver. This is mostly because the information they have suggests he is a cautious conservative economic actor (gag).

The important point is that it does not serve honest and progressive interests to alienate Chinese voters on these matters. Quite the contrary, winning over those voters and helping our mostly new Chinese population learn more about B.C.'s magnificent natural patrimony is an emerging cultural and democratic imperative.

Mr. Bell pointed out there is little reason to prefer American interests over Chinese. Taking it further, I would say that selling out to individual private interests (whose motives usually remain hidden and unknown) is just as insidious.

While there is no doubt that "us versus them" approaches can work, I think a far better overarching theme for this debate would be to focus on the "us", and the extent to which our patrimony is being sold out.

Neocons and neolibs are destroying this country

We have a terribly flawed system and the problem didn't become apparent until Harper scored his majority (with a pitiful number of votes, because Canadians apparently are apathetic mindless tools).

Harper is undermining Canada's sovereignty, resources, and democracy rapidly. He's been in power less than two years and already it is unrecognizable. But how do we get rid of him? There are no mechanisms in place in our democracy to recall this treasonous a-hole. There should be, considering none of what he's doing was mentioned by him during his election campaign.

He deserves to be recalled because he has not been honest with the Canadian people about his intentions.

There are countless

There are countless historical examples where the stupidity and corruption of so called "leaders" woke people up and they demanded change and human rights, called democracy.

Harper is in Africa right now, preaching human rights to a captive audience of more "leaders".

Of course, he's the best guy to talk about human rights, like in his beloved People's Republics where people had and still have nothing to say and if they did, they ended up in the gulags or dead.

The Chairman is talking about human rights, while selling off the richest country on Earth to "foreign investors" who once used to be called "invaders", and to fraudulent "free trade rackets" that have nothing to do with trade, but enslavement under dictators, without any public information or even parliamentary debate.

The last thing we need are violent revolutions, but certainly need a revolution of minds, putting a stop to these criminals by kicking them out. It can be done peacefully by telling them to go to hell. That simple. The same way Campbell was eliminated.

I have predicted a year ago, when Harper got his 39% "majority", that he'll go crazy and be forced out within a couple of years and am still sticking to it.

Now, if somebody could explain to Mulcair not to read his comments and questions in the House, as it looks silly and incompetent, Harper's exit could be hastened

The question now is what will Harper's replacements and other governments do about these sellout crimes ? Keep them, or kick them? Do they have the same priesthoods of so called "economists" advising them with the same neoclassical von Hayek and Friedmanite garbage ?

As long as this priesthood is dictating economics and trade, there's little hope for change.

In other words, Harper's madness could be the best thing that happened to wake people up and demand changes and human rights

Ed Deak.

Inotice

Can't. Harper timed all this for the winter season. And we all know that protests and revolutions don't do well in the winter. Winter is what happened to "The Occupy" movement.

Amor de Cosmos rejoinder

I must be a sucker for these trolls. Amor - I've re-read every comment and have yet to find one I would characterize as "China bashing" in the sense that you describe as "us vs. them emotions". One could substitute any country and the comments would be similar. No one is bashing the Chinese for who they are. This is simply a bad deal for Canada, no matter what country would sit on the other side of the table and pen a signature to the treaty.

And from that perspective, I see the theme in Andrew's article and the comments following as most definitely about the extent to which the reserves of our national economy are being sold out. Yes we could expand that debate to include other buyers as China is not alone, but this article is about a specific Canada/China treaty.

Your point about Harper courting Chinese voters is largely irrelevant in the context of the article. Are you offering the suggestion that by signing such a treaty with China, Harper is more likely to win the Chinese vote in Vancouver or anywhere else in Canada? Perhaps (in a stretch of the imagination) that could be true, but more likely if it's true it's just serendipity.

Separate from Canada

The way around this for BC, and other provinces is to SEPARATE from Canada, or form a a union with other provinces.

Burn the books, but binary doesn't forget

Harper sent out one of his muzzled slaves to Jade Seafood House in Richmond, BC today. Alice Wong slurped down shark fin soup in front of all of the asian press in BC today. It CLEARLY demonstrated how his party feels about the natural world. It was a disgusting example of the chairmans disregard for the environment, the ocean, and the worlds health. It was a show of solidarity from Harper towards China, one slurp at a time. The History books will not be kind.

More sellouts.......

Chinese companies can sue BC for changing course on Northern Gateway, says policy expert

The Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA), which will come into effect at the end of October, is Canada's biggest foreign trade treaty since NAFTA. What are its implications for BC?
A Canada-China investment treaty, known as FIPPA, will hamstring BC from negotiating a greater share of profits and creating regulations related to the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline for the next 31 years once it comes into effect at the end of October, an international investment law expert warns.

"This treaty, in effect, will pre-empt important elements of the debate of the Northern Gateway pipeline and may frustrate in a very significant way the ability of the current BC government or any future government -- if the NDP were to win in spring -- from stopping that pipeline or bargaining a better deal for BC," said Gus Van Harten, an Osgoode Law professor who specializes in international investment law.

Van Harten noted that arbitrators in foreign investment agreement disputes will most likely judge in favour of Chinese investors in cases where the host country attempts to impose new or updated regulations that may interfere with the investor's bottom line.

"If this treaty comes into effect, and there's any Chinese ownership whatsoever in assets related to this pipeline -- minority ownership, ownership we generally don't know about -- then Canada will be exposed to lawsuits under this treaty, because the BC government will be discriminating against a Chinese investor, which is prohibited by the treaty."

The treaty will protect investors' rights for 31 years as of November 1.

I did not vote for Harpo

I am so glad I did not vote for harper. Who knew he would sell us out.

How do we get rid of harper. He has no regard for Canadians well being, unless of course you are very rich or a big business.

ACTION ALERT

As concerned Canadians this link provides information and a form letter you can sign online....you can also edit and add your own comments to this letter..it will be sent to every Member of Parliament:

http://canadians.org/action/2012/Canada-China-FIPA.html

The Bully sells us out

My read of this agreement is that it is a violation of our Charter of Rights on many levels. I wish Gus Van Harten would weigh in as the constitutionality of secret agreements and the selling of our rights. For coincidental? irony the provinces also have a FIPPA which provincially stands for the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The secretive federal 'FIPPA" flies directly in the face of this.

The Chairman and his party must go. We need a prime minister and a parliament that works for Canadians, not against us. That he signed onto FIPPA reveals he has no intention of actually stopping the Nexen deal or the Enbridge pipeline....no surprise when it comes to the Chairman.

Al Pope, in a brilliant article from The Yukon News (Feb. 2012): "Mr. Harper goes to China: China sees him coming" (an excerpt):

"On the first day of his trip to China this week, Stephen Harper signed a Foreign Investment Protection Agreement with his hosts. That makes 28 countries with which we've entered into a FIPA, or charter of rights for corporations. According to the Government of Canada website, a FIPA provides “binding obligations on host governments regarding their treatment of foreign investors and investments.” It is designed to “promote and protect foreign investment."......

"Here is the Harper government’s grand plan for the Canadian economy: investor rights for state corporations from a brutal communist regime strip mining bitumen out of the boreal forest to power a huge industrial expansion, which will make them the world’s economic and military superpower in the next 20 years. China gets access to vast untapped energy reserves in Canada, we get cheap trade goods, lost manufacturing jobs, a brief economic bubble during which we provide the fuel for our own colonization, and then inflation, unemployment and a bill for the cleanup.

Despite the fact that this scheme will generate next to no real wealth, and will damage the Canadian economy, corporations both communist and capitalist will rake in huge profits. In order for this to work, somebody has to get fleeced. Stephen Harper is Canada’s lead player in this multi-billion-dollar shell-game. You have to wonder, is he the carnie, or the mark?" ~ Al Pope, The Yukon News

http://yukon-news.com/opinions/columns/27042/

Come the Revolution

An interesting read and if true, confirms that not only were my worst fears about Harpo & Co. are true but understated.

Now, I am and have been a Progressive Conservative most of my like and an ex-serviceman. And like many PC'ers of old, believed in fiscal responsibility matched with social needs. What is passing itself off as Conservatism at both the Federal and BC Provincial (and I count both the BC Liberals and BC Conservatives as one and the same here) levels these days is not true Conservatism as Canadians know it. It is an unholy mixture of the worst of US Republicanism and the brand of Fascism espoused by Mussolini. And it scars the hell out of me.

We the average taxpaying people of Canada are basically under attack, our rights and freedoms are being undermined and sold off in job lots. The opposition parties in both Ottawa and Victoria are strangely mute on the subject as is the MSM.

Unless this assault on our freedoms and rights is stopped now by whatever peaceful means we have available to us, we will be only left with two alternatives. One: to become slaves and accept our lot in life or Two: rise up in armed rebellion.

If it comes to armed rebellion and I pray it does not, having seen the results of such a conflict in the past, I know which side of the barricades and firing line I will be on, and it will not be flying Harpo's flag.

I wrote the following letter to my MP after getting an email

from E. May, using part of it in my letter:
Dear Dan:
Red Carpet for China

"So what is the Canada-China Investment Treaty? Simply put, it is the most significant trade agreement signed by Canada since NAFTA. Only this time our “partner” is the communist government in Beijing, an authoritarian regime with an appalling record on human rights –and it isn’t getting better. This deal requires that Chinese government-owned companies be treated exactly the same as Canadian companies operating in Canada. Once in force, it lasts a minimum of 15 years. If a future government wants to get out of it, a one year notice is required – and even once the treaty is cancelled, any existing Chinese operations in Canada are guaranteed another 15 years of the treaty’s benefits."

Dan, I have to say, this is just as dumb as Mulroney's NAFTA agreement. What does it take to learn a lesson from it? How many times did we lose out to the United States when time and time again they accused us in court of subsidizing our forestry industry, our farming industries? And now we are going to go through the same process with an elephant that is a thousand times bigger than we are? How stupid can the Harper government get???

To which Dan replied:

Thanks for your email.

Have you looked at the agreement? It is 31 pages, available online (I googled it) and is certainly not a trade deal. It does affirm that investors or enterprises doing business in either country are treated fairly and with the rule of law. If you would like to discuss further after reading via email, let me know.

Sincerely,

Dan
(Continued in the next post)

#2 Here is the reply from May's office after I sent the

previous email copies to them:

"Thank you for your email, and we would be happy to provide you with some more information. We have also worked with Dan and found him to be very fair and reasonable, so my hunch is that he, like most other MPs (of all parties!) is probably unaware of the full implications of the agreement.

Dan is correct that this is not specifically a trade agreement as such, but rather a Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPA). And although Canada has many FIPAs signed with many different countries, this one is much different than the others, and the media and the Canadian public (and politicians) are just beginning to figure this out.

Along with the PDF version of the actual FIPA and its Explanatory Memorandum (so you can read it for yourself), I am attaching two recent articles published by Osgoode Law Professor and Trade Law Specialist Gus Van Harten, from September 29th and October 8th, that provide an overview of why this agreement represents a critical threat to Canada's sovereignty. I am also including a letter sent by Elizabeth May to Speaker Andrew Scheer, requesting an emergency debate in the House of Commons so that Parliamentarians have a chance to study the agreement before we are bound by it for the next 31 years.

Please give these a read, and feel free to get in touch if you have questions. It is absolutely crucial that people like you, who have rapport with honest and well-meaning Conservative MPs such as Dan, are able to present them with the facts that the media has so far failed to do."

Unfortunately, MP May has not been very lucky in getting the attention of the Conservative majority.

What I will be doing!

I am a mom of 2 and I will be on the streets of Vancouver with hard-copies of the petition Elizabeth May has made approaching everyone I can to tell them about this and hopefully have them sign the petition against it. We SHOULD be rioting in the streets and the only way we will be is by raising awareness in the streets! We still have 17 days to stop this!

I don't think anybody can

I don't think anybody can stop this, no matter how many signatures are collected against it.

Chairman Harper has made up his mind, whatever there is at his mental age of 10, and he's going to force it through.

We can also be about 80% certain that he'll sell Nexen to our great "trading partners".

He'll be forced out of office sometime next year, but in the meantime he'll do all the damage he can. Not because he might be a bad guy, but an obvious mental case and a "believer".

And there are no more dangerous people than "believers".

Ed Deak.

Oil...and Water, too

The oil industry is dependent on water so this sells out our water rights as well.

There, is, however, the question of the legitimacy of the Harper government itself.....and those alleged robo-calls in the last election.

How will First Nations respond? Their land claims precede and deservedly trump this noxious deal.

The Chairman has not only sold out to foreign companies but because those companies are owned and controlled by the government of China, he has effectively sold our country, our resources, our sovereignty, our rights....to another 'country'.

A carnie? A mark? Both.

Sheer insanity? The ultimate subterfuge?

What do you call someone who sells out their own country on such a massive scale?

What are we, as Canadians, going to do about it?

Watergate and "I did not have sex with that woman" pale in comparison.

If the House is broken, why not move the conversation elsewhere?

If the Cons won't debate this in the house, why don't the other parties debate it out of the house? You know, rent a hall, get a PA system, bring in some informed commentators and the media, and give this odious piece of treason a full public airing. Surely this would be better than letting the fascists kill our democracy!

Another secret "conservative"

Another secret "conservative" treaty, permitting US troops to occupy Canada.

Ed Deak

http://www.creativeportfolioproductions.com/breakingnews.htm

Interview with Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade

This week in MacLean's, a question/answer interview at http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/10/10/on-canadas-shift-toward-asia-free-trade-agreements-and-exports-of-expertise/

Q: Why is the investment agreement with China not being put to vote in Parliament?

A: It’s our government that put into place a formal process for tabling foreign investment promotion and protection agreements. The opposition parties have Opposition days to debate any subject they see fit. What’s interesting is that even though they have been making noises about wanting to debate it, this week they had two opportunities to debate it on their days and they have chosen not to, which tells you how seriously they take trade and investment.

It is well worth it to read this article. I'm going to check out some trade stats Fast mentions.

Ed Fast says...

In the interview Ed Fast said:
"...our exports to China have done, just in 2011 alone, they went up 27 per cent. Imports from China went up eight per cent."

From this you could interpret our trade balance as being favourable. However, the stats that I got from Statistics Canada said:
Canada's exports to China from 2002 to 2011 went from $4.1b to $16.8b, an impressive 75%. Canada's imports from China from 2002 to 2011 went from $16.0b to $48.2b, also an impressive 67%. So no matter which way you look at it, we are still doing very unfavourably with our Chinese trading partners.

Never mind about the

Never mind about the imaginary monetary figures, how about the destruction of the ecology, of human lives, the daily growing poverty, the foodbank lines, the losses of educational opportunities, family breakdowns.

Here in the Cariboo the mining companies have gone crazy with they 24 hour test drillings of hundreds and thousands of holes all over the place, all to find and supply resources to our "trading partners so they can conquer the world and set up "people's democracies"

Ed Deak.

JG Gower

Likely because the CPC is lawsuit crazy, and anything said outside The House wouldn't be covered by immunity.

Disgusting. It is hard to

Disgusting. It is hard to believe how many ignorant, gullible Canadians voted for this evil neo-con. He has done nothing good for Canadians, yet he will stop at nothing to keep himself in power, including being in contempt of Parliament. It is a sad time for Canada, having a sociopath, puppet of big oil for a Prime Minister. Why isn't the opposition publicizing this issue and holding the neo-cons to account?

Okanagan Orchardist

"If a future government wants to get out of it, a one year notice is required – and even once the treaty is cancelled, any existing Chinese operations in Canada are guaranteed another 15 years of the treaty’s benefits."

A bit of an inaccuracy/omission as it's a reciprocal agreement and the terms apply to both parties, not just one as a reader may be lead to believe.

THE REAL QUESTION & THE REAL ANSWER

Is there no protection in our Constitution from a [COMMENT REMOVED FOR LEGAL CONCERNS. MODERATOR.] such as Harper, a man who has expressed egregious disdain for our country and everything Canada stands for [AND HERE...]? If not, I say this country is not worth saving. The laws of this country are not worthy of respect and we should all act in accordance with our conciseness. Good riddance Harper and all your conspirators. [AND HERE. -MODERATOR.].

Harper sell out

now i'm confused... is it Harper, christy clark or the NDP selling us out. The names may change but the undemocratic result is the same..

u r it

cars r us
has been and seems as if it will be for decades
honk if u drive

Comrade fragile ego

Like a little pup eager for attention, the Harper Conservatives sell-off anything in Canada for a little pat on the back and a photo-op.
It is embarrassing to have a Prime Minister who has so little back-bone.
He grovels at the feet of the Upper Class.
"The Middle Class can kiss my ass,
I am with the Upper Class at last!"
-a little ditty sung in some halls in Ottawa.

Media Schemia

A CTRL F came up with no less than 15 references in your comments to the "Mainstream Media" and how it has not been reporting on this. Sorry, categorically wrong. These deals have been in discussion on the mainstream media for months, people. The truth is stranger --and more abhorrent-- than any conspiratorial fiction concocted by the quote unquote one percent: you are a lazy bunch. Just because it's the first time you have seen it, does not mean it has not been talked about. Get offline and hit the streets, no time for righteous rants.

The very reason we have a Parliament is ..???

To have an open and vigorous debate upon any of the business proposed by the sitting government.
Apparently, Herr Harper has decided that with a majority, debate and reason are mere impediments to the agenda (sell out as fast as possible). We thought Mulroney was bad, history will not be kind to Harper. Of course, Alberta will build golden statues and the like...

Unbelievable

Seriously, this is treason. Why aren't these bozos recalled for abuse of power?

The only hope for BC? Native rights.

Native claims have NOT been settled in BC as opposed to the rest of the country. Our native people NEVER signed a treaty. So you pipeline pro or against, Conservative, pro or against, with a treaty our native folks have an immense spanner for the works. Supreme Court of Canada will not hear it and governments told to settle, years ago. That will supersede any Harper effort. Native Rights. Support them in BC. and Harper is dead in the water until the apathetic will wake up and throw him out.

What dont we call it what it is

The PM is subject to a lot of name-calling, most of it quite appropriate. However, I say we should call it like it is... Harper is our Dictator. We now live under a dictatorship...and it will stay that way until Canadian get up off their backsides and vote to remove him, once and for all...

Canada - China Trade Deal

It certainly is not in Canada's interest to sign this deal - no question! But then again, we are a bit late with refraining from signing away things. Some years ago we inked an agreement to not only trade (give away) our commodities, but we managed to include our sovereignty in a deal called NAFTA. No one so far has mentioned that - it appears that it was the deal that opened the barn door.

CANADA DOSE NOT OWN LAND IN CANADA

CANADA DOSE NOT OWN LAND IN CANADA THEREFORE CANNOT SELL LAND IN CANADA.It all belongs to the First Nation People. The Chinise and other governments have been dooped for their money by the Canadian governemnt. So has the other people who think they own Canadian land.

Any elected politician who

Any elected politician who works to further the interests of a foreign power to the detriment of his own country is in my opinion committing nothing less than treason.