Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement Negotiations

WHEREAS the Canadian government is close to concluding negotiations with the European Union EU on a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement CETA, with participation from provinces and territories; AND WHEREAS the Corporation of the City of New Westminster recognizes the importance of trade to local, provincialterritorial and national economies but also the impact that trade agreements can have on the powers of local governments; AND WHEREAS in the CETA, Canada has exchanged an initial procurement offer with the EU listing sub-federal entities that will be bound by the rules of the procurement chapter that may include the Corporation of the City of New Westminster and that would explicitly tie the Corporation of the City of New Westminster to the terms and conditions of an international trade agreement; AND WHEREAS the EU is insisting on full access to procurement by local governments, school boards, universities, hospitals, utilities and other provincial agencies, which could significantly reduce the freedom of these bodies to hire or source locally on public contracts, or to use public spending as a tool for economic development, environmental protection and support for local farmers and small businesses; AND WHEREAS procurement rules in the CETA combined with investment protections related to transit, water electricity and other public services delivered locally may lock in privatization and make it prohibitively expensive to apply new regulations, to re-municipalize services, or create new local government programs; AND WHEREAS the Corporation of the City of New Westminster already has an open and fair procurement policy, and it is not the international norm for local governments to be covered by procurement agreements such as the one proposed in the CETA; AND WHEREAS disputes by private firms against local policy decisions could be taken before private trade tribunals that lack transparency and have the authority to impose fines: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia issue a clear, permanent exemption for the Corporation of the City of New Westminster from the Canada-EU CETA, and that it otherwise protect the powers of local governments, hospitals, school boards, utilities, universities and other sub-federal agencies to use public procurement, services and investment as tools to create local jobs, protect the environment, and support local development; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia disclose its initial procurement, services and investment offers to the EU, explain the impacts CETA would have on local governments, and give M.U.S.H. sector entities the freedom to decide whether or not they will be bound by the procurement, investment ad regulatory rules in the agreement.