Manley lied re: FTAA & post-FTAA event

Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 09:21:31 -0300
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
From: jslakov@TartanNET.ns.ca (Jan Slakov)
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Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Dear Sust-Mar people,

A few weeks ago CBC Radio's Information Morning invited listeners to call in
with questions for Foreign Affairs Minister John Manley. 

I believe Manley lied in replying to a question host Don Connelly put to
him. I do not make this accusation lightly, even though I gather lying in
politics is not uncommon. I even called Don Connelly to see what he thought
about the exchange. Below is a transcript of that exchange. 

But before we sink into the details of mendaciousness, here's an invitation:
Enviro-Clare is hosting an evening of theatre (the EAC's Hemlock Circus!)
and dance (Pictou County's Volition!) and post-FTAA discussion/celebration
on Friday, May 11 at the Château of Université Sainte-Anne in Church Point.
There will also be a walk led by someone, perhaps Chief Frank Meuse, at the
Bear River First Nation Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. Please contact
me for more details (<jslakov@tartannet.ns.ca>, 837-4980).

all the best, Jan
**************************************************************
Don Connelly: ...Here's the first question we have for you:

me: Hi, this is Jan Slakov from Weymouth. I think my question would be: What
in US policy is he concerned about? It seems he's concerned about absolutely
nothing, he would go ahead with the boondoggle of National Missile Defence,
Star Wars warmed over, which would cost a fortune and actually destabilize
the world rather than make it safer and he voted to keep the proposed the
proposed um, Free Trade of the Americas Agreement secret even though
apparently over 500 CEOs have access to the agreement but MP's do not!?

Don Connelly: ... But what about the whole principle of our relationship
with this new regime in Washington?

John Manley: Well, you know the US relationship is of paramount importance
to Canada; there's no doubt about it and I think anybody in my position with
a new US administration coming into office would see it as a the first
priority to ensure that good relations are built with the United States;
it's a, you know it's a billion dollars of trade every day; it's by far our
predominant relationship; we have a long-lasting and important defence and
security arrangement with the United States and so those relationships,
ministers to ministers, government to government are very, very important,
so of course, it's the most important thing. You know, the caller's
concerned about National  Missile Defence, so are we. And we've raised that;
I raised it with Colin Powell, the ah, the Defence Minister raised it with
his counterpart, the Prime Minister discussed it with George Bush and they
basically haven't asked us to do anything at this point; in fact they've
made it clear they don't really know exactly what missile defence is going
to look like. They're, they're concerned about different sorts of risks than
have been the case in the past and they're, they haven't made a plan to, to
ah, to, to implement this nor have they got a technology that's proven to
work yet so they've asked us if we would, ah, ah, before we criticize it too
vehemently, wait and see what it is that they're going to do. I don't think
that's an unreasonable request.

Don Connelly: Is there a an agreement, an agreement of free trade in the
Americas, a broader than NAFTA agreement, NAFTA and Mexico agreement, ah
which CEOs know about that we don't know about?

John Manley: No, ah we've, there is discussion going on, ah, and it will
continue at the summit. It's not going to be negotiated at the summit or
concluded at the summit for a free trade area of the Americas which would
bring in the rest of the hemisphere. Ahm, Canada's postitions have been made
public, they're all on our internet site so they're, they're both discussed
with the business community, of course, which is normal in a trading
arragnement that you find out who's going to be helped and who's going to be
hurt by changed trading rules....

[Note from Jan: The bald-faced lie is to say that no, there is no agreement
which CEOs kow about that we don't know about. When I asked that question I
had only seen the allegation that some CEOs had privileged information in
one e-mail (from a credible source, though) but by now I have seen it in
several places and one newsletter from Buffalo, NY states: "Although
Congress hasn't set goals for US participation, hundreds of corporate
representatives are involved in the process, advising the US negotiators and
helping to write the rules. At the same time, however, citizens [sic]
groups, and even the United Nations, have not been able to incorporate their
concerns and suggestions into the talks."

I think it is not honest either to say that "they haven't made a plan to, to
ah, to, to implement this" (meaning the US government hasn't made a plan to
implement NMD). It seems they have not committed themselves to going ahead
with parts which would certainly violate the ABM treaty and that what they
have been seeking from Canada is our aquiescence to or approval of NMD so
they can diffuse some of the international criticism of the plan.

I have sign ons from Friends of the Earth and Noam Chomsky on this issue,
sign ons that Enviro-Clare will add its name to, and I'd be glad to send
them along to anyone who would like to see them.]



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