British Columbians speak out against TILMA: a Death Warrant for Democracy

by Al Webb, Independent Editorialist

On Remembrance Day we are all asked to remember the thousands of Canadians who have given their lives, and who are still making that ultimate sacrifice in far off Afghanistan, in defence of our Canadian Democratic way of life; how truly ironic it is that the biggest threat to our Democratic Rights has been perpetrated in total secrecy by the very Liberal Provincial Government elected to help protect and defend it, as a Canadian government. Our thousands of lost BC soldiers must be spinning in their graves right about now.

TILMA, that most benign sounding “Trade Investment Labour Mobility Agreement” should more correctly be called “The Death Warrant for Democracy Act” for it surly will do that. This agreement was developed and signed, in secret, by Alberta Premier Ralph Klein and BC Premier Gordon Campbell, and it was surreptitiously rammed through the BC Legislature just prior to the mid-year dissolution in 2006, with absolutely no public consultation whatsoever. Crypto-right wing British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell then immediately cancelled the fall Legislature sitting, no doubt to ensure that no public debate could take place on this Orwellian piece of dictatorial legislation. His dismissive statement was “that there was nothing to do.” Say, what?

So what exactly is TILMA?

In layman’s language (complements of the Council Of Canadians); TILMA is a legal document, outlining a legally binding process, that gives special rights to individuals and corporations to sue provincial governments and their official agencies over any rules, regulations or other government measures, that “they” feel “restrict or impair” their trade or investment (i.e. Profits). Under TILMA, even provincial or municipal policies designed to protect the environment and public health from corporate abuse, are vulnerable to attack from lawsuits. Lawsuits will be heard by a TILMA appointed court, and laws can repeatedly be challenged for as much as 5 million dollars per incident per claimant.

Government “entities” covered by TILMA and therefore vulnerable to private lawsuits, include regional, local, district or other forms of municipal government, as well as school boards. A TILMA dispute panel could rule that land use regulations (including the thousands of acres of ALR Delta farm land currently owned by corporations and private investors, being farmed under lease agreements with Delta Farmers), violate the TILMA agreement by restricting their real estate investments. They would also undoubtedly rule that the Canadian/BC Public Health regulations restrict Private Investors from profiting from investments in Health Care. And you have to know, that US for Profit Health Care providers and Insurance Companies, are now holding their collective breath awaiting the TILMA act to become effective in April of 2009. Ergo; Under TILMA, the BC Agricultural Land Reserve and Canada’s Public Health Care laws, to mention just two of BC’s most important laws, will be toast.

If this is not a sell out of every democratic right that our forefathers and the current Canadian Troops are fighting to preserve, I don’t know what is. And this travesty of deception, is being done to us by the very people who were elected to protect and defend these rights; the now self anointed BC Liberal Dictator Gordon Campbell, and his bunch of Corporate backed privatizing mercenaries, who, regretfully, apparently includes Delta’s very own sorry excuse for an MLA, Val Roddick.

Become a Member:

Would you like to see other similar articles and critical commentaries in The Canadian National Newspaper? Then, show your support. Make a member-pledge donation, in support of the Membership Drive of the Pro-Democracy Media Foundation.

The Canadian can only continue to publish investigative articles in such areas, with the donations from members of the public in Canada, the U.S., and abroad. Consider making a donation of $50.00, $75.00, $100.00, $200.00 or more. Donors are eligible to receive our first collector's print edition in mail. Alternatively, you can send us a note to be placed on our special email list of members. Member-donors can also suggest articles or commentaries to be published in The Canadian.

The Canadian is a socially progressive and not-for-profit national newspaper, with an international readership. We provide an alternative to the for-profit commercial focused media, which often censors vital information and perspective of potential interest to the diverse Canadian public, and other peoples internationally.

Become a member of The Canadian, with your donation-pledge. Help support independent, progressive, and not-for-profit journalism.