October 15, 2015
The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2
Prime Minister:
The Liberal Party of Canada supports free trade as this is how we open markets to Canadian goods and
services, grow Canadian businesses, and create good-paying Canadian jobs. We know that exporting
industries pay wages that are 50 percent higher than non-export industries.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership stands to remove trade barriers, widely expand free trade for Canada, and
increase opportunities for our middle class.
As we have said repeatedly, Liberals will take a responsible approach to thoroughly examining the Trans-Pacific
Partnership. Unfortunately, you have failed to be transparent through the entirety of the negotiations –
especially in regards to what Canada is conceding in order to be accepted into this partnership.
Your lack of transparency continues to this day. Despite a commitment by the Minister of International
Trade, Mr. Ed Fast, to release the text of the agreement so all Canadians can judge it on its merits before
Election Day, media reports this week state that the details will remain secret.
It is troubling that with just four days remaining until Election Day, you continue to refuse to release the
text of the agreement for Canadians to see.
Even more troubling is the fact that, today, Liberal Party of Canada staff received a last-minute invitation
for a secretive, incomplete briefing on the proposed TPP agreement.
One can only assume that the meeting was hastily arranged at your request, given that the meeting
invitation itself, received at 1:00 p.m. ET today, did not even include a date for the meeting. Only on
seeking clarification did we learn that the proposed meeting is to take place tomorrow morning in
Ottawa.
Your proposed briefing is clearly a political ploy and raises several concerns:


The requirement to sign a confidentiality agreement and retain information “under embargo”
does not meet the Liberal Party of Canada’s high standard for transparency.



It is simply not possible to conduct a meaningful, in-depth analysis of the 1500-plus page
agreement in 90 minutes.

 

The last briefing for Party representatives on October 4, 2015, provided no actual details beyond
the limited information already released publicly.



Participation in that October 4, 2015, meeting became a political football used to score political
points on Party Leaders (CTV News, October 8, 2015).

Due to your continued lack of transparency and refusal to be straight with Canadians, we will not
participate in your political games. I once again urge you to publicly release the full text of the TPP
agreement.
If the Liberal Party of Canada earns the honour of forming a government after October 19, 2015, we will hold a
full and open public debate in Parliament to ensure Canadians are consulted on this historic trade
agreement.
Sincerely,

Hon. John McCallum, P.C.
Liberal candidate for Markham—Unionville

2