Illustration by Katie Raso
International trade and investment, deep integration
The CCPA maintains and regularly updates a list of all investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims brought against North American governments under NAFTA Chapter 11. As of January 1, 2018, Canada has paid out nearly $220 million in NAFTA losses and settlements, all to U.S. investors, and currently faces eight active claims in which investors are demanding approximately half a billion dollars. To this amount we can now add $95 million in unrecoverable legal costs paid by Canada in defending ISDS cases, thanks to information acquired through an access to information request.
OTTAWA – The federal government has spent more than $95 million in unrecoverable legal fees defending the ballooning number of investor-state lawsuits filed against Canada under NAFTA’s controversial investment chapter, according to new data obtained by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives via an access to information request.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador at a rally in San Baltazar, Chichicapam, Oaxaca in March 2016 (Wikimedia Commons)
This report card reviews the federal government's progress in 16 key policy areas at the halfway mark of their term. It finds that, despite some positive first steps, the Liberals’ ambitious talk hasn’t been backed up with the action needed to make these promises a reality.
With two years left in the term, the report card includes suggested next steps to help the Liberal government fulfill the progressive agenda they committed to leading up to the election. Among the recommendations:
Photo by Mathieu-Etienne Gagnon/OXFAM
Illustration by Remie Geoffroi
Can we finally admit it? The world really does love Justin Trudeau.
The Trudeau government has shone internationally on a progressive message of tolerance, openness, diversity and inclusive, sustainable economic growth. It says it wants to make globalization fair for everyone, and that, as the prime minister tweeted, Canada welcomes all people “fleeing persecution, terror & war.” But on a number of files the government has bent itself into a pretzel trying to square its beliefs with its actions. An underlying theme throughout this issue of the Monitor is the empty gesture.