Last month, out of the blue, the Harper Conservatives ratified the secretive and extreme Canada-China FIPA, a move that threatens to lock our democracy into a binding investors’ deal for at least 31 years.[1]
The Leadnow community has been working together to fight this terrible deal since we first heard about it over two years ago - by emailing our MPs, running radio, print, and billboard ads, making phone calls, and supporting First Nations in using their constitutionally protected rights to challenge the deal in court.
We were outraged when we heard Harper had passed FIPA on a Friday afternoon when he hoped few people would be paying attention. Since then we’ve been determined to make sure Canadians heard the truth about this deal. And, thanks to the dedication and generosity of this amazing Leadnow community, we’re doing just that.
- Together, thousands of you have donated over $70,000 to our campaign fund.
- We’ve produced a new, hard-hitting radio ad and booked it to play hundreds of times, including directly on popular conservative talk-radio shows.[2]
- We’ve designed a print ad to reach key voters in swing ridings, and we’re rolling it out. (click to view full size)
Together, we’re holding the Harper Conservatives accountable for their actions in the places where it matters most - in key swing ridings across the country.But these ads are the just the beginning of the work we can do in swing ridings. Over the coming weeks we’re going to be launching a people-powered election campaign to hold the Conservatives accountable at the ballot box during the next election. Together, we’ll show them that politicians will pay a steep political price for undermining our democracy.
At the same time, the Hupacasath First Nation are still standing up for all of us. They are using their constitutionally protected legal rights to challenge this deal in court. The court case is still in progress, and the court has not yet released its decision on the Hupacasath’s appeal.
By ratifying FIPA before the court could make a decision, the Harper Conservatives have shown extraordinary disrespect for the rights of both First Nations and the judicial branch of our government.
In response, the Hupacasath First Nation has now put China on notice, making it clear that FIPA was ratified without their prior informed consent, and is not accepted on their territory. The Hupacasath are inviting First Nations and municipalities across Canada to do the same, and already the Saddle Lake Cree Nation have joined them.[3-5]
The Hupacasath are refusing to let the Canada-China FIPA bind us, and they want your help. Can you help us spread the word about their new campaign?
The Hupacasath are pointing the way - we simply cannot accept any deal that allows corporations to sue our governments in secretive courts outside Canadian law.
Thanks for all you do.
With hope and respect,
Matthew, Jamie, Kelly, Julia, Tess, Danielle, and the whole Leadnow team
Sources:
[1] For more info on the Canada-China FIPA deal, see http://www.leadnow.ca/fipa
[2] Our hard-hitting radio ad is currently playing on major stations in Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, London, Hamilton, the Greater Toronto area, and Ottawa, as well as rural AM stations covering large parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and syndicated conservative talk radio. The print ads will run over the next few weeks targeted in swing ridings from Courtenay-Comox BC, to Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Kitchener-Waterloo and the Yukon.
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