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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-07-13, Page 14Page 14 l ivies -Advocate; July 13, 1988 Cardiff Report MURRAY CARLIFF. M.P. OTTAWA - There has been considerable a tebti(in-paid-rccctlly• to ttie issue (>1 Water exports under the Free Trade Agrceineitt (FTA). 'the I'GA is'an economic agreement, not an environmental accord, and does not obligate, compel or force Canada in any way to export water or any other natural resource to the United States. The FTA.explicitly recognizes that ttic..gove.rnments of either country have. the right to protect tteireriv-ironmcnt and conserve their natural. resources. Nothing -in the VTA affeeis or•chanees the Federal Water Policy an- nounced by the }"lonourible Tin► McMillan on -November 5, l987, vv hid) clearly and unequivocally states that the Government of Canada opposes and will prohibit the large scale export of water and the diver- sion cif Canadian rivers to thc.Unitcd States. Both the Water Policy and the FIA were developed in keeping with the provisions of the (;cncril Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT'), which enable a . ountry to restrict the -export of a natural resource forreasons aeon - servation and environmental protection. These .are precisely the grounds lir the (k>vernincnt's position..` Sonic critics complain that water isnot explicitly exclu}led from the FTA, rioting Article 409 (vwwhich•does not allow either party to com- pletely turn oft: resources being exported) -and ttat,,theretire, the Unit- ed States has full access to Canadian waters. llowev-er, Article 409 is not relent vatb fresh water, .as ticre-is no significant export of -this re- source. Although water is in the GMT and has been-considereda commer- cial product for 40-ycars;-very-tittle- water enters into international trade -other than bottled -water. %Vital the FTA does provide for, then, is the elimination of tariffs on the export of bottled water which i; v.ttat Item 22.01 of tie Ilarntoniicd Tariff Schedule refers to. The arguments developed recently in tic Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail suggesting that fresh- water. is implicitly -and explicitly part • of the FTA are largely irrelevant.Nothing in the Agreenient forces Canada to export a resource which it has good reason not to -export. • The Federal Water Policy is very clear on this:issue. Canada. has never been formally approached by any jurisdiction in the United States regarding the -purchase and Targe scale export of wa- ter by. diversion. Water -short areas of the Southwestern U.S., for ex- ample, arc dealing with -their situation through improved conserva- tion rtteasurcs. Finally, there isa scheme which has been in the proposal stage for 29 years, -the- so-called Grand Canal Project, which envisions the di- versions of waters from James Bay -to the U.S. via the Great Lakes. This project is not hcing pursued and will not he considered- by the 1cderal.Govcrnnlcnt. _ Free (rade and social services As part of the government's policy agenda, free trade plays a key role alongside the Meech Lake Accord, tax reform, child care, the At- lantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Western diversification, and the Ikfence White Paper:- - Free Trade docs not compromise Canada's sovereignty or our ability to develop ix>licies best lir Canadians. Social programs arc in no way threatened by the -Free Trade Agree- ment. Rather, a stagnant economy and protectionism are the greatest threat. In fact, social programs wcrc nevereven at issue in the free trade negotiations. The government clearly stated that it w )uki not al- low Canada's sovereignty to he thrcatcned.for the sake of a trade deal. 1Inder the Agreement, elected governments will continue to deter- mine social policies which meet the needs of alt Canadians. The Free Trade Agreement will also help promote the economic growth neces- sary to keep tic social programs Canadians have grown to expect. Opponents of the Free Trade Agreement -make several erroneous claims regarding the trade deal, claiming that social programs are sub- ject to U.S. countervail. Another complaint raisceiby opponents of - the deal is that the costs of our social policies make our businesses Icss competitive than their American competitors. Often, this com- plaint is made by the sante individuals who claim the Americans sec our -social policies as having an unfair advantage. These "claims arc false and contradictory. On one hand, social policies are a burden, and on the other, they are an advantage. I low can they be both? The hest way to understand the effects of. the FTA on social policy Is to- look at the facts and dismiss the assumptions and fear - mongering. Crider international trade law, upon which U.S. and Cana- dian law is based, social programs arc nils considered a subsidy ifthey :Ire available to the general population. Programs such a, Rledicare, EJ.I.C., pensions and maternity benefits arc ilia* threatened by American countervail because they arc universal - h' a%ailahle. American fishermen once tried to claim • that seasonal uncmploy- . meta insurance;bcnefils paid to Canadian fishermen constituted an un- fair subsidy. They tried to get Unemployment Insurance declared countervailab>lc. Significantly, their action was denied by the U.S. Commerce Department. Furthermore, in Ole future, Canada will have the benefit of the dis- ,,;,;,,,,,,)., jute settlement mechanism. This will ensure'that a binational panel. l w'ititfing Canadian appointees, has dtc: opportunity to review thc ap- plication of American trade law, and to ensure there is no unwarranted application of that law to specific Canadian cases. Similarly, thc second claim, that programs such as Medicare consti- tute an unfair burden on the competitive position of Canadian compa- nies, should be properly examined. Medicare has been an 'essential part of the Canadian social welfare net since 1965 and it is not at risk under the ITA. - It is false to claim that Medicare is a burden which dampens our competitiveness and will.affcct our performance in a free trade envi- ronment. Medicare has been factored into doing business in Canada for over twenty gars and has never been viewed as an unfair burden. At the start of negotiations it was made clear that.our social pro- grams would not be included. The Free Trade Agreement in no way affects our ability to implement social programs for Canadians. Past experience and international law indicate that our. social pro- grams arc not countcrvailablc. Past experience has also shown our so- cial programs do not dampen our competitiveness. In the debate over free trade, discussions regarding tie effect on our social programs arc useful and should be encouraged, however, any dl:e es,ion should be accurate and factual and not argued on the bask of unii,fcrmcd emotionalism. COMMERCIAL - Bob lammie When reviewing your business insurance needs, consider The Co-operatives. Our Commercial Guard program offers some of the broadest coverages available any- where. Call today for complete de- tails. the co-opetatot EXETER: 472 MAIN ST., 235-1109' 1111 /1,1441 AI P' 1 .AIM! Ne I -I TARN TRA%1I Gravel, dust control WEST McGILLIVRAY - At the July meeting, McGillivray council %ere informed that Chittick Con- struction had begun crushing and spreading gravel on township roads. Dust control will be applied as The fresh gravel is graded and shaped.. R & S Graham Construction arc scheduled to start reconstruction of the north block of the Twelfth Con- cession Road in about two weeks. Third reading was given a by-law permitting Ontaro Hydro to,crcct temporary field offices during the construction of the Bruce transmis- sion line. - Alter revievi•ing current fire pro- -tection agreements, and following a lengthy discussion, council resolved to request Lucan, Ailsa Craig and Parkhill fire departments to discuss vrith Stephen township the matters of mutual fire aid and supplemen- tary fire protection for the North Boundary Concession in McGilliv- ray. Congratulations to the 17 gradu- ates of McGillivray Central School %ho received their diplomas and awards at Ole ceremony on June 27. This graduation marks the 32nd anniversary of the McGillivray Ccn- Cr . }- 1 t on by \tis. Stan Preszcator CREDITON - Recent visitors with N1r. and Mrs. Ray Morlock and N1rs. Alwinna Galloway were Mr. and Mrs. Jim Brokenshirc, Si., Thomas, and Mrs. and Mrs. Stewart Green, Lebanon, Indiana. airs. ftlary Bird, Vanaslra, spent a few days with ,Nir. and Mrs. Stan Preszcator at their trailer at Kettle Point. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Glanville and qtr. and Mrs. Stan ,Preszcator attended the Glanville Reunion on Sunday July 11 atedforth Lions Park; 91 wcrc in attendance. The day was spent with a ball game followed by sports and a deli- cious pot luck supper was enjoyed by all. Firs. Irene Schlenker is a patient at St. Joseph's Hospital London. Wishing you a speedy recovery Irene. Nir. and Mrs. Donald Wilson and • girls, Cayuga, spent a few days .with Mrs. Earl I laist. PARKER a PARKER,,,. R.R. 2 Zurich - Specialists in tile drainage - Plastic or clay tile installations - Water line installations 1* tr.., • Backhoe Service Available • Remember! A good drainage system pays for itself - Call us for your drainage requirements Phone Wayne Cook Res. 236-7390 Shop 263-3014 begins in McGiIIivra y tral building and the 145th anniver- sary of the establishment of the McGillivray. school system.- • The first recorded School Com- missioncrs for McGillivray Town- ship, elected at the Anfival Tow Meeting. held on January 2, 1843 were William Lewis, Robert Mei rick, Robert Seals, Thomas Laugt lin and George Barber, Chairman. ippen by Margaret Hoggarth KIPPEN - On Saturday, July 9, Thea, and Uwc Wisch celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Nlany friends and neighbours wcrc there to offer congratulations, along with about 25 relatives and friends who had arrived from Gcrntany- within the past week to help cel irate this happy occasion. Congratulations to Julia Gra(` Knip on her marriage to Thorn; Wayne Dickens. -This weddii took place on Saturday, July 9 - the Christian Reformed Church ! - Eketer. -• CAUTH ' EAST ,_- We're perfectly located to handle your crop \hen it's time to market %our c hop. you'll hind all the -services. ta( ilrrres and expertise ou need are close -b‘ at ..Cook's. We go out•of our %y,.% to gni, you the best pQssihle prices. terms and Options to slake '-all your hard work .pay out.. IA hen it's time to deliver your ( rop make Cook 's our destination. "Where you con trode with confidence" Dwwon oe Gcrbro (1967i Inc. Hensoll .262-2410 Centralia . Kirkron 228-6661 2 'y-tiyt;b Walton 52;-1540 88 7-'3261 k YOU DESERVE... * Fast Unloading * Accurate Grades * Competitive Prices * Quick Settlements FDR YOUR 88 WHEAT CROP This year deliver your crop to the W.G. Thompson & Sons Elevator nearest you! "The Home of Augusta Seed Wheat" Seaforth 345-2545 Pt. Albert 529-7901 Hensalf 262-2527 FERTILIZERS Mitchell 348-8433 Ailsa -Craig 293-3223 Granton 225-2360