Some choice excerpts from material I've been looking at over the past little while, most notably (IMO) that the drivers behind this are the BIG Industry Associations: Pharma, Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Council of CEOs, Cattle, Trucking - to name just a few. Wonder what the banks think?
Take special note that of this fellow:
The Honourable John P. Manley, P.C., O.C., President and Chief Executive Officer (Canadian Council of Chief Executives)
Mr. Manley is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. He was first elected to Parliament in 1988, and re-elected three times. From 1993 to 2003 he was a Minister in the governments of Jean Chrétien, serving in the portfolios of Industry, Foreign Affairs and Finance, in addition to being Deputy Prime Minister.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Mr. Manley was named Chair of a Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-terrorism, serving as counterpart to Governor Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. In recognition of the role he played following 9/11, TIME Canada named him "2001 Newsmaker of the Year".
After a 16-year career in politics, Mr. Manley returned to the private sector in 2004. From 2004 to 2009 he served as Counsel to McCarthy Tétrault LLP, a leading Canadian law firm. In that capacity he provided strategic advice in matters relating to public affairs, including trade, telecommunications, security and finance.
http://www.ceocouncil.ca/en/about/JPM_Bio_Eng.pdf^ Actually, he bolted from government before the token shit hit the fan in the organized crime syndicate known as the Liberal Party of Canada.---------
AdScam / Sponsorship Scandal RecapMartin supporters contend that many Chrétien loyalists left with or shortly after Chrétien left in 2004, before the scandal was revealed.
They point to the departure of John Manley and other Chrétien cabinet ministers from the party, many of whom did not stand for candidacy in the 2004 federal election. Martin's supporters assert those expunged from the party were ejected for their impropriety and not for their leadership affiliations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponsorship_scandal---------
Harper Statement on the Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC)The establishment of the Regulatory Cooperation Council in no way diminishes the sovereignty of Canada or the U.S., with each government continuing to carry out its regulatory functions according to its domestic legal and policy requirements. Canada and the US have a strong record of achievement in regulatory cooperation on which to build. Some of these achievements include:
* In October 2010, Canada announced final regulations, aligned with those in the United States, which imposed more stringent greenhouse gas emission standards for new passenger automobiles and light trucks, thereby making emissions from 2016 model vehicles about 25 per cent lower than those sold in Canada in 2008.
* By September 2011, a harmonized standard for electronic stabilization systems in light-duty vehicles will be in place, enhancing safety and significantly reducing the risk of collisions.
* In June 2009, Canada and the U.S. recognized as equivalent each other’s national organic systems, thereby facilitating bilateral trade in certified organic products.
In addition to building on past cooperation, the Regulatory Cooperation Council could focus on new sectors, such as nanotechnology, where regulatory policy in both countries is at an early stage.
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?m=/index&nid=587799PS - Big Cattle loves this scheme, too.----------
Rx&D applauds creation of Regulatory Cooperation Council to spark economic growth and improve public health and safety“We commend Prime Minister Harper and President Obama for their commitment to reduce red tape and streamline regulations through the creation of a Regulatory Cooperation Council.
...
“We look forward to collaborating with the governments to ensure that these initiatives are put into action for the benefit of Canadians as well as for our neighbour and largest trading partner.”
https://www.canadapharma.org/en/documents/20110204_Statement_CAN_US_Regulatory_Cooperation_Council_Final_EN_000.pdf-----------
The official party line from the Conservative Party of CanadaThe Prime Minister and the President believe that the United States and Canada must work together to make their economies stronger and more competitive, while meeting their fundamental responsibilities to protect the safety and welfare of their citizens.http://www.julianfantino.ca/mp_shared_utilities/government_news__central_/statement-on-regulatory-cooperationhttp://www.gordonoconnor.ca/?section_id=2840§ion_copy_id=124840&tpid=2777&First of all, government meddling in the market destroys competition, along with small business, but this is more of a blending of government with big business -- and that is corporatism, aka fascism. Secondly, we are NOT your citizens!-----------
Canada could be a very different placeThe new shared vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness may not stir anyone's blood, since it is in essence an agreement to seek future agreement. But make no mistake:
The Beyond the Border declaration has the potential to take Canada to the next rung of economic integration with the United States....
Mr. Harper acknowledged that the Washington declaration is a "starting point" for "an ambitious agenda." He played down fears about Canada's sovereignty being trampled by saying the deal is in the national interest.
On migration policy -- possibly the biggest sticking point -- the declaration states that the two countries will work together "to establish and verify the identities of travellers and conduct screening at the earliest opportunity." The intention is that fingerprints and retinal scans will become routine, leading to the evolution of an integrated entry-exit system, where entry into one country serves to verify exit from the other. This would require an unprecedented exchange of personal information.The two countries already share watch-lists and passenger manifest lists for flights crossing each other's airspace. But public opinion in Canada, already hardened by the Maher Arar case, may not welcome the sharing of more and more personal information with the Americans.
There was little detail available on how a perimeter security arrangement might work in practice, beyond a reference to increased cooperation across "air, land and maritime domains, as well as space and cyberspace." This suggests that the NORAD joint air defence model may be adopted on land and sea. One practical example may be the emergence of
joint customs facilities.
...
As John Manley, the president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and a former Liberal deputy prime minister, put it: "Sovereignty is enhanced when prosperity is enhanced."Read more:
http://www.financialpost.com/related/topics/Canada+could+very+different+place/4230233/story.html#ixzz1DmS1a0QjWTF does that mean, especially in this context? 
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Canadian Chamber of Commerce taking credit for this?What we got for youBorder efficiency* A commitment by the Canadian and American governments to pursue a perimeter approach to security which will support economic
competiveness, prosperity and job creation.
[these nutjobs want to run the world and they can't even proofread their own crap]* A commitment to focus investment in modern border infrastructure and technology at the busiest ports of entry.
* A commitment to expand and harmonize trusted traveller and trader programs and automated processes at land borders.
* A commitment to improve information-sharing and cooperation between enforcement agencies on both sides of the border.
* A commitment to co-operate on the protection of critical infrastructure.
* The creation of the Beyond the Border Working Group (BBWG), composed of representatives from the relevant federal agencies on both sides of the border. The BBWG will report to the president and prime minister on the development of a Joint Action Plan to implement the goals of the declaration.
Regulatory cooperation* The creation of a U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC), made up of senior regulatory, trade and foreign affairs officials from both governments. The RCC has been tasked with increasing regulatory coordination and transparency in order to promote economic growth and to create jobs.
http://www.chamber.ca/index.php/en/news/C156/a-new-vision-for-canada-u.s.-relations/------------
The Integration of Canada and the USA: "The Security Perimeter" Derogates National SovereigntyThis new bilateral undertaking is being sold as vital to the safety and prosperity of both countries. Despite claims that it would not result in either side surrendering sovereignty, many concerns remain, especially from a Canadian perspective.
Thus far, the whole process has lacked transparency and any input from the public.This has drawn comparisons to the SPP which from the beginning, was shrouded in secrecy and fueled by fears over the loss of sovereignty that ultimately led to its downfall. Any deal which could give the U.S. Department of Homeland Security more influence over Canadian border security and immigration practices, poses a risk to sovereignty and privacy rights. There are also concerns over increased information-sharing with other American law enforcement agencies. A North American security perimeter would be defined and dominated by U.S. interests. It would force Canada to make significant sacrifices in regards to sovereignty which could dramatically change the country forever.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23109^ Darkness fears the light-------------
Sovereignty taken by stealth - Some pretty powerful letters to the editorBehold democracy in Canada, a nation where a government rejected by two-thirds of the voters, continually lies to us and withholds information from us as it serves the interests of those who finance and control it.
It spends millions of our tax dollars on self-promotion and misinformation and billions more in the service of its masters. It views democratic principles as obstacles to the goals of its hidden agenda.
It undermines the sources of truth by withholding access to it, dismantling the census and promoting broadcast journalism that is nothing more than a propaganda machine designed to cloud our minds while serving the rich and powerful. And then it assures us of its commitment to transparency, accountability and democracy.
Ask yourself the following question: If we lived in a true democracy, would those in power reject the concept of proportional representation that would provide a voice to all Canadians — and not just the one-third who supported the party that was first past the post?
Parliament serves those who control its members — not you and me.
...
Building up a single security perimeter around Canada and the U.S. has nothing to do with protecting the citizens of those countries. It is designed to protect the interests of the big corporations (remember that 9/11 targeted the financial and the military, the two pillars of the American empire) and their servants, the politicians.
That is why only the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the Canadian Trucking Alliance were informed about these secret meetings. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/936598--sovereignty-taken-by-stealth--------------
Waiting for smaller government? Don’t hold your breathOf all the Harper government’s curiosities, none is more telling than those surrounding the role of government. Time and again, the Prime Minister and his cabinet tell Canadians about the virtues of smaller government. Along with “tough on crime” and “lower taxes,” smaller government forms the red meat trilogy the party delivers to its core voters and, presumably, to other Canadians.
Except that, over the past five years, the number of Harper ministers has grown, the civil service and military have soared by more than 30,000 people, spending leaped before and during the recession, the government’s actual and projected deficits have been twice as large as the surpluses from 1996 to 2006, and the government’s plan to restore fiscal balance is leisurely, to say the least, and is being attacked as unreliable by three independent studies.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/waiting-for-smaller-government-dont-hold-your-breath/article1902704/--------------
It's all a giant scam - a mindf**k if you will. Up is down, "Conservative" means small, more regulation and integration of business and government means freer markets! Actually, what this is, IMO, is a big gigantic Public Private Partnership and that is very bad. I'm sure Serco and others are licking their chops.
