Globe and Mail: The Ugly Canadian at global trade talks in Geneva

[tuvor]

JEFFREY SIMPSON
July 29, 2008

When is failure a success?

For the Harper government, as for previous Canadian governments, failure in international trade negotiations means political success.

Failure prevents the government from having to face the ire and political retribution of Canada's supply management groups, which govern the production, sale and pricing of eggs, poultry and dairy. These are the lobby groups Canadian politicians bow down before. In 2005, the House of Commons unanimously passed a resolution instructing negotiators to defend the existing supply management arrangements. Any change, according to the Commons, would be unacceptable. This from a group who couldn't agree today is Tuesday.

Canada's negotiators at the last-gasp meetings in Geneva this week are taking a position to defend supply management that will in effect lead to failure at the talks. After all, how do you negotiate in good faith when your negotiating instructions are that no changes must be made, ever, under any circumstances to the status quo?

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/GAM.20080729.COSIMP29/TPStory/TPComment

[Caradoc]

1. Typical of Simpson...

Poor Jeffery obviously hasn't paid much attention.
Canadian marketing boards, while imperfect, have kept our agriculture sector alive. If we launch into 'free' trade in agriculture products, we'll be wiped out because farmers in developing nations make nothing and pay their workers even less. How on earth could we 'compete'? And, if you ask any macro/micro economist, local food production should be enhanced and expanded, especially in light of higher fuel costs. Play our cards right and domestic agriculture production could see incredible levels of growth, especially in careers and jobs.

[Caradoc]

2. Talks collapse anyway.

And the talks collapse anyway and not because of Canada. Seems India doesn't like the idea of all this foreign food product turning already staggeringly poor farmers into utterly landless and forever poverty stricken. Justice! The World Trade Talks are a total sham anyway...they only benefit an already rich few.