With the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) about to be signed,
Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper is in a solid position to use it as a
wedge issue between the Liberals and the NDP. Depending on how this is played,
it will be critical for all three parties.
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| It's a big deal |
The TPP is a massive trade agreement – the largest in world
history – that began back in 2006 with Brunei, Chile, Singapore, and New
Zealand. It is now being negotiated with the addition of United States,
Australia, Peru, Vietnam, Mexico, Japan and, yes, Canada. It is part of a strategic
plan on the part of the United States and its larger corporations to isolate
China in the Pacific. To sign on, Canada will have to give up supply management
for its dairy industry, and it may take a hit in the automotive sector. The
Canadian banks will love it, because it gives them access to more and bigger
deals.
