Dear Editor,

After receiving a tepid response from my local MP office, I am writing to local newspapers to voice my opposition to the Canada China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA).  

Anyone who hasn't already: please take note and join the growing opposition against the ratification of this agreement. Our government is prepared to pass this agreement into law without discussion or public input; the ratification will occur without debate in parliament, and without a vote, by the end of this month. 

It will allow Chinese companies control of our natural resources through buyouts of our natural resource companies. It will allow Chinese companies to sue our government, outside of our judicial system in secret tribunals, for any municipal, provincial, or federal action that reduces their expectation of profit. Municipal and provincial levels of government will not be represented at these tribunals: we will not be represented at these tribunals. 

This threat requires immediate, widespread, and vocal action on the part of every Canadian. Opposition to this agreement is daily becoming stronger, but every person must take part. If this agreement gets passed into law, it will be not only the fault of our underhanded government; it will be the fault of every person who failed to act.  We cannot afford to wait for someone else to deflect this threat. 

We must every one of us do whatever is necessary to stop the ratification of this agreement.     

Margaret McLeod

Pemberton