The Liberal Hidden Agenda.

[Russell McOrmond]

  For everyone going to the Polls and were duped into believing that the
Liberals are the "Strategic Vote" to keep out the Alliance, remember a few
important facts.


  Firstly, the Liberals are the largest defenders of our antiquated
electoral system which forces you to vote with your fears and not your
mind.  They have opposed electoral reform at each opportunity it has come
forward.  If you fear the Alliance, why support the very party that put
them into a position to be a threat?  The Alliance are not the enemies of
the Liberals: if anything the Alliance is a child of the Liberals based on
Liberal arrogance (their belief in their "Right to Govern") and the
antiquated electoral system they promote.


  If you believe in Medicare and public education, please read the
following  National Post article:

http://www.nationalpost.com/search/story.html?f=/stories/20001127/384252.html

  If you want public institutions to remain intact, you can count on the
Liberals to ensure that this will not happen.  It is the Liberal party of
Canada, not the Alliance, that is actively privatizing health care and
education.  The Alliance is much more honest about their motivations and
agenda: it is the Liberals that have the *hidden* agenda!



  If you are at all concerned about Health, also watch the Liberal record
on the Environment.  The Liberal Government in Canada is the largest
contributor to the failing of the climate change conference.  I believe
all Canadians should be embarrassed at what the Liberals are doing.

http://www.Campaign2000.green.ca/article.php3?sid=20001126120113
  Canada Reprehensible at The Hague, says the Green Party of Canada

http://www.Campaign2000.green.ca/article.php3?sid=20001126182401
  Liberal star waffles on Climate Change

http://www.Campaign2000.green.ca/article.php3?sid=20001125135107
  Tooker Burns Passport in Protest



  The best thing for Canada is if the Liberal Party were returned after
the election as a two-seater, much like Canadians did to the Progressive
Conservatives. Failing that, a Minority government with government
partners that will have enacting proportional representation as a
condition of being a partner.

---
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://russell.flora.org/work/>
      Online Interactive site: Discuss the Greenparty platform!
 http://www.Campaign2000.green.ca/search.php3?query=Platform&topic=elect2000

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 07:00:58 -0800
From: Murray Dobbin <mdobbin at telus.net>
To: mdobbin <mdobbin at telus.net>
Subject: Murray Dobbin's Column

http://www.nationalpost.com/search/story.html?f=/stories/20001127/384252.html

The Financial Post
November 27, 2000
By Murray Dobbin


The conversion of Sergio Marchi

New converts to a religion often display an enthusiasm
verging on fanaticism and former “social liberal” Sergio
Marchi is a case in point. Here’s a man who just can’t shout
enough Hallelujahs when it come to liberalizing trade.
Marchi first saw the light when he was appointed Minister of
International Trade and was later rewarded for his zeal with
an appointment as Canada’s ambassador to the WTO. He
now chairs the Council for Trade in Services, the body
negotiating expansion of the World Trade Organization’s
dominion over the service sector through negotiations on
the General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS).

Marchi testified to his new faith most recently in a speech to
the US Coalition of Service Industries.  This groups is the
most influential US corporate lobby group pushing for the
expansion of the GATS into health, education, pensions and
other public services.

Marchi (remember now, he’s supposed to work for us)
pandered to the crowd of powerful American CEOs -
including heads of American Express, Mastercard
International, The Chubb Corporation, VISA ,The Chase
Manhattan Bank  - by preaching some of that good, old-time,
anti-government religion  “..it was a wise commentator who,
when told that..it took a million years to carve out the Grand
Canyon, responded that this must have been a government
program.”

Good one, Sergio. But we might just wonder which public
servant wrote it for you and contemplate the implications of
a government run by people who hate government.

Marchi brought wonderful tidings to the American business
coalition about the progress being made to expand the
GATS. He identified  new areas ripe for liberalization,
including energy (meaning electricity) and environmental
services (including water supplies), and tourism.

In a subsequent interview, Marchi claimed that Canada
would not jeopardize public health and education in the
negotiations. Yet according to the Washington Trade Daily,
in his speech Marchi specifically named “teaching and
education” as areas for expanded coverage.  He reassured
me that governments will still have the right to regulate, but
told the business coalition meeting that domestic regulation
is a target for WTO disciplines to ensure that such
measures “do not constitute unnecessary barriers to trade.”

Perhaps more significant, though, was what he asked from
his high-powered audience   - given that these are the
corporations whose stated goal is to crowbar their way into
our public services. “I believe,” said  Marchi, “that the input
and support of the services private sector...will be vital
throughout this [negotiating] process. Governments need to
be properly informed of your positions.  ...you need to help
governments reach out to a wider constituency to build
public understanding and support for what these
negotiations mean to citizens and communities.”

Now that would be quite a task for this bunch. The last thing
they want is for “citizens and communities” to know what
these negotiations mean. Here’s a sampling of what the
Coalition has said it wants from the GATS.  They told the US
Congress: "We believe we can make much progress in the
negotiations to allow the opportunity for US businesses to
expand into foreign health care markets.”  What’s stopping
them now? Well, things like Canadian Medicare. “Public
ownership of health care has made it difficult for US
private-sector health care providers to market in foreign
countries....”

The Coalition has specifically targeted seniors as a market
opportunity as: “the demographic segment that uses health
care services most intensively. The entire spectrum of
geriatric services for senior citizens should be explored.”
They have complained loudly to the US Trade
Representative about “excessive privacy and confidentiality
regulations” in the health care sector.

On the one hand, Marchi claims Canada will not endanger
Medicare. But on the other, he begs for more intervention by
the most aggressive, determined and powerful lobby for the
privatization of public services on the planet. This is the
same group who invented the idea of applying WTO rules to
services. The Coalition takes credit for creating the GATS,
claiming, in the words of its Chairman, Chubb CEO Dean
O’Hare  to have “...played an aggressive advocacy role in
writing the General Agreement on Trade in Services.”

David Hartridge, the WTO’s Director of Trade in Services,
concurs: “...without the enormous pressure generated by the
American financial services sector, particularly companies
like American Express and CitiCorp, there would have been
no services agreement and therefore perhaps no Uruguay
Round and no WTO.”

So it’s hard to know what more Marchi expects this
particular group to do. But he’s obviously eager to lend a
hand. By serving as the main attraction at the Coalition’s
fund-raiser, Marchi was helping the business Coalition
intensify their proselytizing efforts. The event organizers
offered any corporation willing to shell out $15,000 the
privilege of introducing Marchi and having a senior
executive sit with him at the head table.

Apparently anything goes when the cause is righteous.

--
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