Growing Majority of Canadians Agree with Obama: Renegotiate NAFTA

(CNW Telbec)

The Council of Canadians has found that 58% of Canadians agree with U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama that NAFTA should be renegotiated to include enforceable labour and environmental standards, in a poll commissioned from Environics. The finding follows those of earlier polls and demonstrates a steady growth in Canadians' support for renegotiating NAFTA - from 45% in March to 52% in July (Angus Reid).

“Whichever parties win the U.S. and Canadian elections, the concerns of Canadians over the impact of NAFTA on jobs and the environment aren't going away,” says John Urquhart, Executive Director of the Council of Canadians.

“Canadians need to think very carefully before October 14 about who will best represent their concerns on the environment and jobs, should Barack Obama become U.S. president and new NAFTA talks begin in 2009,” he added. “And, even more urgently, Canadians need to think about who should represent our interests in talks with the European Union that are scheduled to begin a mere three days after the election, on October 17.”

“The fact that Stephen Harper hasn't uttered a single word about this new proposed Canada-EU trade deal before or during this election, and which promises to be more sweeping than NAFTA, should raise serious doubts in Canadians’ minds about his appropriateness to lead us in new international trade talks," adds Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “He sees nothing wrong with NAFTA, which most Canadians want renegotiated. And NAFTA is exactly the wrong model on which an EU-Canada trade deal should be negotiated. It will only worsen the impact on jobs, the environment and public services, especially health care.” Read more here.

Update: Following is a video of Democratic Senate challenger Bob Conley speaking to a group of taxpayers in Greenville, SC yesterday about free trade agreements.