The Rural Voice, 1998-03, Page 66BRUCE
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
44610th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1 P9
519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
' The Rural Voice is provided to Bruce
County Farmers by the BCFA.
MAI could have serious consequences for Canada
We in Canada are proud of the fact
that this country has prospered
because people were allowed
opportunities not offered elsewhere.
Canada nurtured its people by
providing "made in Canada"
solutions, that in time made us world
leaders in several areas.
Some things that are unique to
Canada are: universal health care;
public and private research;
marketing boards; special treatment
for developing industry; a
sophisticated transportation system;
and high animal health regulations.
All of this could change when
Canada ratifies the Multilateral
Agreement on Investment (MAI).
MAI is designed to allow the free
movement of capital across national
boundaries. Every country that signs
MAI guarantees that it will treat
foreign investment as well as, or
better than, domestic investors. An
example of this is the World Trade
Organization recently ordering
Canada to stop its postal subsidy to
Canadian publishers. Bulk postal
rates now offered to Canadian
Publishers writing about Canadian
issues will have to be offered to the
likes of Penthouse and People
magazines.
MAI has three cornerstones. (1)
Foreign investors should be treated
the same as domestic. (2) All nations
should treat investors equally. (3)
Investment rules must be transparent.
It goes on to say that countries
cannot expropriate an investment
without compensation even if it is in
the national interest. If an investor
loses property due to civil war or
civil unrest, the nation must
compensate fair market value for the
loss. All member nations must allow
the free flow of capital in and out.
I think that MAI gives multi-
national companies more power than
governments. Corporations have the
same legal status as a country. They
can buy, sell, or move investments
across borders with no strings
attached. They are free to profit from
any commercial enterprise without
having to invest in job creation,
infrastructure development, or
purchase supplies locally. They can
access the same government grants
and subsidies as local businesses.
Under MAI companies can sue a
government for any perceived
impediment to investment. The
dispute -settling mechanism will
supercede provincial and municipal
law. They can also challenge any
ONTARIO ENVIRONMENTAL FARM PLAN
Schedule of Workshops
to help Bruce County Farmers to fill out Environmental Farm Plans
Environmental Farm Plan Workshops will each have
two sessions scheduled one week apart.
Environmental Farm Plans will help Ontario farm families to identify simple,
practical goals for improving environmental quality.
Workshops are being conducted by your local Soil and Crop Improvement
Association, with funding provided by
Agriculture and Agri -Food Canada through the CanAdapt Program
administered in Ontario by the Agriculture Adaptation Council.
1998 WORKSHOPS
Lucknow March 5 & 12 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Chesley March 10 & 17 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
To register call the Walkerton OMAFRA Office 881-3301 or 1-800-265-3023
For more Information call John Wilton 367-2408
62 THE RURAL VOICE
domestic subsidy, regional economic
development or cultural programs
deemed to be unfair.
All of this raises more questions
than it gives answers. Where do
provincial marketing boards fit in
MAI? Will they be challenged as
unfair to investment? Who is going
to be the steward of the land and
environment if the almighty dollar
has the last say? Who is going to do
research that has no profit attached to
it? How will regional disparity be
addressed? Rural areas will have no
people services. They will only be
needed to provide cheap resources so
that companies can make profits.
How will monopoly situations be
treated? What will keep speculators
from raiding legitimate companies?
If a local company is bought up by a
multinational it could be dismantled
leaving the community with no
employees.
The two extremes of the economic
pendulum are communism and
capitalism. History tells us that when
we get too close to these extremes
revolution occurs. MAI is a step
towards an extreme that could have
serious consequences.0
— submitted by
Jim Farrell, Past President
BRUCE COUNTY
FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
Directors' Meeting
Monday, March 23, 1998
8:00 p.m.
OMAFRA Boardroom, Walkerton
Members are welcome to attend
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