The Shotgun Blog
« Your awesome Obama picture of the day | Main | Violent gangs prosper due to criminalized drugs »
Saturday, August 08, 2009
The unending battle for true free trade
The Premiers have gotten together and declared that they want free trade with the United States. Canadians respond in confusion, don't we already have free trade?
The answer is of course no. Even before the 'buy America' trend in the US, we did not have true free trade. The North America Free Trade Agreement is riddled with exceptions and loopholes. In truth it was a tariff agreement that did not really promise open borders, merely opener borders.
Even now as the Premiers are making a push to fight protectionism they are adding exceptions. Premier McGuinty wants to keep 'buy Canada' provisions for green technology and public transit. I wished I was shocked that at one moment a politician is demanding free trade then the next defending his own protectionist policies. I wish I was shocked but this is the normal course of events.
We never truly won the free trade debate.
Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on August 8, 2009 | Permalink
Comments
Free Trade does not require a manual.
All it needs is for the Government to step back about 500 miles and we'll have real free trade.
And prosperity.
Posted by: The original JC | 2009-08-08 11:01:42 PM
Do you complain in your country!
What can I say in mine, in Argentina, in Latin America.
I can only do legal trade, legal commerce and honest business now.
Posted by: Jorge | 2009-08-08 11:38:09 PM
True free trade is impossible where governments are involved. Free trade with enemy-hostile-unfree countries is also impossible in my opinion because then you are either enriching an enemy or a slave-owner government.
Posted by: Floyd Looney | 2009-08-09 9:00:41 AM
The Easterners in Ontario are only interested in free trade IF it benefits them first. Hence their continued support for a second NEP. Needless to say that Albertans must always be on their guard for their basic human right to equality. if the fascists in Toronto don't like that, GOOD.
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2009-08-09 9:37:56 AM
This shows what a joke the Premiers are. A good start for free trade would be at home between provinces, but the Premiers prefer to rant about what goes on elsewhere. I should add that we do not even have free trade within any province.
Posted by: Alain | 2009-08-09 12:07:09 PM
Egg boards, milk quotas. taxi licenses, I could go on and on. Free trade, reciprocity- what a joke.
Posted by: DML | 2009-08-09 9:31:08 PM
Government managed Free Trade can't help but be a complete farce...I mean come on, these guys are organizing everything so that they can control who does what with who..."free", my ass!
Posted by: The original JC | 2009-08-10 6:21:06 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.