|
Are you prepared to give up your
Canadian citizenship for a continental union with the United States
and Mexico? Would you give the U.S. unlimited access to our oil and
water resources and control over our military and customs border in
exchange for access to their markets? These are the kinds of questions
Canadian politicians of the past would consider a national priority
worthy of intense public debate. Today, there is virtual silence from
our media and our elected members of parliament. The most pivotal
event we have faced since the War of 1812, is happening behind closed
doors, without so much as a peep from our MP’s.
How
many of them are aware that a secret meeting to discuss Continental
Security in the New Security Environment was held in Banff, Alberta
from September 12 - 14? The Banff conference was the latest move
toward the implementation of the North American Security and
Prosperity Partnership, an agreement to replace our sovereignty, our
currency and our civil liberties with the integration of Canada, the
U.S. and Mexico into an North American Union (NAU).
It was
hosted by Canada’s most powerful business lobby, the Canadian
Council of Chief Executives with former Secretary of Defence, Donald
Rumsfeld slated as the keynote speaker. CEO’s from the military
industrial complex were among the attendees as well as high ranking
government of.cials including Greg Melchin, Alberta Minister of
Energy, Stockwell Day Minister of Public Safety, Minister of Defence
Gordon, O’Connor and General Rick Hillier. Nestled in the comfort
of the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, they discussed the details of a
North American Energy Strategy, Opportunities for Security Cooperation
in North America and Demographic and Social Dimensions of North
American Integration. No reporters were
notified and no details about the nature of the discussions are being
made public.
Plans for deep integration with the U.S.
and Mexico were ratified by former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin
in March of 2005. In May of that same year, former deputy prime
minister, John Manley chaired the Independent Task Force of North
America, which issued a report calling for a North American trade zone
and security border by 2010. This report was the product of a joint
venture between the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations and the Canadian
Council of Chief Executives. With the election of a Conservative
government in January of 2006, prime minister Stephen Harper picked up
from where Mr. Martin left off.
His appointment of former
Liberal, David Emerson, to Minister of Trade, guaranteed that the
conservative campaign to “Stand Up for Canada” would not
stray far from the corporate continental vision implemented by the
Liberal government. This could explain why there has been little
critical analysis from our national media and none of the four main
political party leaders would state their position on the North
American Union in the last federal election.
The lack of
relevant debate in parliament or reporting by the national media
places our hard won democracy at risk. Matters of such momentous
national importance must be discussed publicly. NAUAlert
demands full disclosure on the meetings and working groups
implementing the North American Security and Prosperity Partnership.
In addition, our democratically elected representatives, must state
their position on the North American Union in a full parliamentary
debate. As a coalition of concerned Canadians, we invite people of
different political parties and walks of life to join with us to
ensure that this happens. |