Society

The Multilateral Agreement on Investment ( )
and our Society

Say a country like Canada wants to protect its citizens from the dangers of tobacco smoke by forcing cigarette companies to market their products in plain packaging.

Sounds simple‹just legislate it into practice.

"Not so fast," say the American tobacco companies. "Canada doesn't have the right to interfere in the way we do business."

And they're right.

Like it or not, in a case that went to the Supreme Court, the Canadian government was not allowed to pass a law compelling companies to sell cigarettes in plain packages.
The court ruled, in fact, that the proposed ban on cigarette advertising was an unjustifiable restriction on the freedom of expression clause in the Charter of Rights.
Over the years, our national sovereignty has been diminished first by the Charter of Rights, then the FTA and NAFTA. But they all pale beside the coming MAI (Multinational Agreement on Investment).

What is the ?

The prime objective of the MAI is to allow the movement of money across international borders by imposing a new set of rules restricting countries from using legislation, policies and programs seen as impediments to the free flow of capital. In other words, it is a constitution for the largest corporations to rule the world.

The huge multinational tobacco companies--like other corporations--can already flex their muscles almost anywhere they want. But the coming MAI will further enhance the political rights of corporations at the expense of governments and their citizens.
When it comes to protecting our national economy and related social, cultural and environmental matters, we're losing ground every day to the grinding force of the multinational corporations. And their victory will be complete when MAI comes to town.
Right now, the 29 richest countries are quietly negotiating the MAI in Paris. Negotiations are expected to be completed in May, 1998. After that the treaty must be approved by each nation's legislature.

Here are some of the ways the MAI will affect our economy once the international corporations take up the rights granted them under the treaty:

• The MAI could prevent provincial governments from using procurement practices to support local industries. • The MAI could prevent Quebec-based financial institutions like the Mouvement Desjardins from protecting themselves against a takeover by foreign financial institutions.

• The MAI would prevent provinces from prohibiting the ownership of farm lands by non-resident foreign citizens and laws that restrict foreign ownership of water and electrical utilities. • The MAI would allow foreign corporations to force provinces to compete against one another in a race to the bottom because of lack of national standards for social programs and public services.

• The MAI would allow its rules to have supremacy over Canadian laws, federal or provincial. The only cases where Canadian laws would be relevant would be when they were consistent with the MAI rules. • The MAI would allow global corporations like Exxon or Sony to have their political rights as investors constitutionally guaranteed and protected as if they were citizens of the host country.

• The MAI would allow transnational corporations to use the courts to ensure that Ottawa and the provinces fall into line with American constitutional law when it comes to regulating the economy and related social, cultural and environmental matters. In other words, the MAI has the makings of a dynamic constitutional force in its own right.

Under the new world economy of the MAI, ordinary people are asking what they can do to protect their political rights while stopping large corporations from gaining super citizenship status.

Here's what you can do:

• Speak to your elected representatives: federal, provincial and local. Find out what they know about the MAI and what they are going to do about it.

• Inform your community. Let people know what's at stake.

• Write a letter of concern to your local newspaper.

• Join the campaign.

Call 1-800-387-7177

904-251 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5J7

•	The MAI could prevent provincial governments from using procurement practices to support local industries.	•	The MAI could prevent Quebec-based financial institutions like the Mouvement Desjardins from protecting themselves against a takeover by foreign financial institutions.
•	The MAI would prevent provinces from prohibiting the ownership of farm lands by non-resident foreign citizens and laws that restrict foreign ownership of water and electrical utilities.	•	The MAI would allow foreign corporations to force provinces to compete against one another in a race to the bottom because of lack of national standards for social programs and public services.
•	The MAI would allow its rules to have supremacy over Canadian laws, federal or provincial. The only cases where Canadian laws would be relevant would be when they were consistent with the MAI rules.	•	The MAI would allow global corporations like Exxon or Sony to have their political rights as investors constitutionally guaranteed and protected as if they were citizens of the host country.
•	The MAI would allow transnational corporations to use the courts to ensure that Ottawa and the provinces fall into line with American constitutional law when it comes to regulating the economy and related social, cultural and environmental matters. In other words, the MAI has the makings of a dynamic constitutional force in its own right.