1921: The Council on Foreign Relations is founded by Edward
Mandell House, who had been the chief advisor of President Woodrow
Wilson.
1973: David Rockefeller asks Zbigniew Brzezinski and a
few others, including from the Brookings Institution, Council on
Foreign Relations and the Ford Foundation, to put together an
organization of the top political, and business leaders from around the
world. He calls this group the Trilateral Commission (TC). The first
meeting of the group is held in Tokyo in October. See: Trilateral Commission FAQ
1974: Richard Gardner, one of the members of the
Trilateral Commission, publishes an article titled "The Hard Road to
World Order" which appeared in Foreign Affairs magazine, published by
the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). In the article he wrote: "In
short, the 'house of world order' would have to be built from the
bottom up rather than from the top down. It will look like a great
'booming, buzzing confusion,' to use William James' famous description
of reality, but an end run around national sovereignty, eroding it
piece by piece, will accomplish much more than the old-fashioned
frontal assault." Gardner advocated treaties and trade agreements as a
means of creating a new economic world order. See: The Hard Road to World Order
November 13, 1979: While officially declaring his
candidacy for U.S. President, Ronald Reagan proposes a “North American
Agreement” which will produce “a North American continent in which the
goods and people of the three countries will cross boundaries more
freely.”
January 1981: U.S. President Ronald Reagan proposes a North American common market.
September 4, 1984: Conservative Brian Mulroney is elected Prime Minister of Canada after opposing free trade during the campaign.
September 25, 1984: Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney meets President Reagan in Washington and promises closer relations with the US.
October 9, 1984: The US Congress adopts the Trade and
Tariff Act, an omnibus trade act that notably extends the powers of the
president to concede trade benefits and enter into bilateral free trade
agreements. The Act would be passed on October 30, 1984.
1985: A Canadian Royal Commission on the economy
chaired by former Liberal Minister of Finance Donald S. Macdonald
issues a report to the Government of Canada recommending free trade
with the United States.
St. Patrick's Day, 1985: Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
and President Ronald Reagan sing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" together
to cap off the "Shamrock Summit", a 24-hour meeting in Quebec City that
opened the door to future free trade talks between the countries.
Commentator Eric Kierans observed that "The general impression you get,
is that our prime minister invited his boss home for dinner." Canadian
historian Jack Granatstein said that this "public display of sucking up
to Reagan may have been the single most demeaning moment in the entire
political history of Canada's relations with the United States."
September 26, 1985: Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announces that Canada will try to reach a free trade agreement with the US.
December 10, 1985: U.S. President Reagan officially
informs Congress about his intention to negotiate a free trade
agreement with Canada under the authority of trade promotion. Referred
to as fast track, trade promotion authority is an accelerated
legislative procedure which obliges the House of Representatives and
the Senate to decide within 90 days whether or not to establish a trade
trade unit. No amendments are permitted.
May 1986: Canadian and American negotiators begin to
work out a free trade deal. The Canadian team is led by former deputy
Minister of Finance Simon Reisman and the American side by Peter O.
Murphy, the former deputy United States trade representative in Geneva.
October 3, 1987: The 20-chapter Canada–United States
Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA or FTA) is finalized. U.S. trade
representative Clayton Yeutter offers this observation: "We've signed a
stunning new trade pact with Canada. The Canadians don't understand
what they've signed. In twenty years, they will be sucked into the U.S.
economy."
November 6, 1987: Signing of a framework agreement between the US and Mexico.
January 2, 1988: Prime Minister Mulroney and President Reagan officially sign the FTA.
January 1, 1989: The Canada US Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA or FTA) goes into effect.
June 10, 1990: Presidents Bush (U.S.) and Salinas
(Mexico) announce that they will begin discussions aimed at
liberalizing trade between their countries.
August 21, 1990: Mexican President Salinas officially
proposes to the US president the negotiation of a free trade agreement
between Mexico and the US.
February 5, 1991: Negotiations between the US and
Mexico aimed at liberalizing trade between the two countries officially
become trilateral at the request of the Canadian government under Brian
Mulroney.
April 7 to 10, 1991: Cooperation agreements are signed between Mexico and Canada covering taxation, cultural production and exports.
May 24, 1991: The American Senate endorses the
extension of fast track authority in order to facilitate the
negotiation of free trade with Mexico.
June 12, 1991: Start of trade negotiations between Canada, the US and Mexico.
April 4, 1992 Signing in Mexico by Canada and Mexico of a protocol agreement on cooperation projects regarding labour.
August 12, 1992: Signing of an agreement in principle on NAFTA.
September 17, 1992: Creation of a trilateral commission responsible for examining cooperation in the area of the environment.
October 7, 1992: Official signing of NAFTA by Michael
Wilson of Canada (minister), American ambassador Carla Hills and
Mexican secretary Jaime Serra Puche, in San Antonio (Texas).
December 17, 1992: Official signing of NAFTA by
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, US president George Bush, and
Mexican president Carlos Salinas de Gortari, subject to its final
approval by the federal Parliaments of the three countries.
March 17 and 18, 1993: Start of tripartite discussions in Washington aimed at reaching subsidiary agreements covering labor and the environment.
September 14, 1993: Official signing of parallel agreements covering labor and the environment in the capitals of the three countries.
1993: The Liberal Party under Jean Chretien promises to
renegotiate NAFTA in its campaign platform, titled "Creating
Opportunity: the Liberal Plan for Canada" and also known as The Red
Book.
December 1993: Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister
Jean Chretien signs NAFTA without changes, breaking his promise to
renegotiate NAFTA. U.S. President Bill Clinton signs NAFTA for the U.S.
November 1993: The North American Development Bank
(NADB) and its sister institution, the Border Environment Cooperation
Commission (BECC), are created under the auspices of the North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to address environmental issues in the
U.S.-Mexico border region. The two institutions initiate operations
under the November 1993 Agreement Between the Government of the United
States of America and the Government of the United Mexican States
Concerning the Establishment of a Border Environment Cooperation
Commission and a North American Development Bank (the “Charter”). See: About Us (The North American Development Bank)
January 1, 1994: NAFTA and the two agreements on labour and the environment go into effect, replacing CUSFTA.
November 16, 1994: Canada and Mexico sign a cooperation agreement regarding the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
December 1994: The Summit of the Americas is held in
Miami. The three signatories of NAFTA officially invite Chile to become
a contractual party of the agreement. The Free Trade Area of the
Americas or FTAA is initiated. According to the offical FTAA website,
"the Heads of State and Government of the 34 democracies in the region
agreed to construct a Free Trade Area of the Americas, or FTAA, in
which barriers to trade and investment will be progressively
eliminated. They agreed to complete negotiations towards this agreement
by the year 2005 and to achieve substantial progress toward building
the FTAA by 2000." See: FTAA
December 22, 1994: Mexican monetary authorities decide to let the Peso float. The US and Canada open a US$6 billion line of credit for Mexico.
January 3, 1995: Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo presents an emergency plan.
January 1995: President Clinton announces an aid plan for Mexico.
February 9, 1995: Mickey Kantor, the US Foreign Trade
representative, announces Washington’s intention to include the
provisions of NAFTA regarding labor and the environment in negotiations
with Chile.
February 21, 1995: Signing in Washington of an
agreement regarding the financial assistance given to Mexico. Mexico in
turn promises to pay Mexican oil export revenue as a guarantee into an
account at the Federal Reserve in New York.
February 28, 1995: Mexico announces the increase of
its customs duties on a number of imports from countries with which it
does not have a free trade agreement.
March 9, 1995: President Zedillo presents austerity
measures. The plan envisages a 50% increase in value added taxes, a 10%
reduction of government expenditure, a 35% increase in gas prices, a
20% increase in electricity prices and a 100% increase in
transportation prices. The minimum wage is increased by 10%. The
private sector can benefit from government assistance. The inter-bank
rate that is reduced to 74% will be increased to 109% on March 15.
March 29, 1995: Statistical data on US foreign trade confirms the sharp increase in Mexican exports to the US.
April 10, 1995: The US dollar reaches its lowest level
in history on the international market. It depreciated by 50% relative
to the Japanese yen in only four years.
June 7, 1995: First meeting of the ministers of
Foreign Trade of Canada (Roy MacLaren), the US (Mickey Kantor), Mexico
(Herminio Blanco) and Chile (Eduardo Aninat) to start negotiations.
December 29, 1995: Chile and Canada commit to negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement.
June 3, 1996: Chile and Canada start negotiating the reciprocal opening of markets in Santiago.
November 18, 1996: Signing in Ottawa of the
Canada-Chile free trade agreement by Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of
Canada and Eduardo Frei, President of Chile. The agreement frees 80% of
trade between the two countries. It is the first free trade agreement
signed between Chile and a member of the G 7.
July 4, 1997: The Canada-Chile free trade agreement comes into effect.
1997: The US presidency proposes applying NAFTA parity to Caribbean countries.
April 17, 1998: Signing in Santiago, Chile of the free
trade agreement between Chile and Mexico by President Ernesto Zedillo
Ponce de León of Mexico, and President Eduardo Frei of Chile.
August 1, 1999: The Chile-Mexico free trade agreement comes into effect.
September, 1999: The Canadian right-wing think tank the
Fraser Institute publishes a paper by Herbert G. Grubel titled "The
Case for the Amero: The Economics and Politics of a North American
Monetary Union." In the paper Grubel argues that a common currency is
not inevitable but it is desirable. See: The Case for the Amero
July 2, 2000: Vicente Fox Quesada of the National
Action Party (PAN), is elected president of Mexico, thus ending the
reign of the Revolutionary Institutional Party (RIP) that had held
power for 71 years. Mr. Fox is sworn in on 1 December 2000.
July 4, 2000: Mexican president Vicente Fox proposes a
20 to 30 year timeline for the creation of a common North American
market. President Fox’s “20/20 vision” as it is commonly called,
includes the following: a customs union, a common external tariff,
greater coordination of policies, common monetary policies, free flow
of labor, and fiscal transfers for the development of poor Mexican
regions. With the model of the European Fund in mind, President Fox
suggests that US$10 to 30 billion be invested in NAFTA to support
underdeveloped regions. The fund could be administered by an
international financial institution such as the Inter-American
Development Bank.
November 27, 2000: Trade negotiations resume between the US and Chile for Chile’s possible entry into NAFTA.
2001: Robert Pastor's 2001 book "Toward a North
American Community" is published. The book calls for the creation of a
North American Union (NAU).
April 2001: Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and
US President George W. Bush sign the Declaration of Quebec City at the
third Summit of the Americas: “This is a ‘commitment to hemispheric
integration." See: Declaration of Quebec City
August 30, 2001: The Institute for International
Economics issues a press release advocating that the United States and
Mexico should use the occasion of the visit of President Vicente Fox of
Mexico on September 4-7 to develop a North American Community as
advocated by Robert Pastor in his book "Toward a North American
Community." See: A Blueprint for a North American Community
September 11, 2001: A series of coordinated suicide
terrorist attacks upon the United States, predominantly targeting
civilians, are carried out on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Two planes
(United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11) crash into
the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane into each tower (One
and Two). Both towers collapse within two hours. The pilot of the third
team crashes a plane into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia.
Passengers and members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft
attempts to retake control of their plane from the hijackers; that
plane crashes into a field near the town of Shanksville in rural
Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Excluding the 19 hijackers, a confirmed
2,973 people die and another 24 remain listed as missing as a result of
these attacks. U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico shut down
temporarily after terrorists attack the World Trade Centre in New York
City. Business leaders in all three countries, worried that trade had
come to a halt, hatch a plan to create Fortress North America -- a
continental economic and security zone.
December 12, 2001: U.S. Governor Tom Ridge and Canadian
Deputy Prime Minister John Manley sign the Smart Border Declaration and
Associated 30-Point Action Plan to Enhance the Security of Our Shared
Border While Facilitating the Legitimate Flow of People and Goods. The
Action Plan has four pillars: the secure flow of people, the secure
flow of goods, secure infrastructure, and information. It includes
shared customs data, a safe third-country agreement, harmonized
commercial processing, etc.
February 7, 2002: Robert Pastor gives invited
testimony before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and
International Trade, House of Commons, Government of Canada, Ottawa.
See: INVITED TESTIMONY OF DR. ROBERT A. PASTOR
April 2002: The Canadian right-wing think tank the C.D.
Howe Institute publishes the first paper in the "Border Papers" series,
which they have described as "a project on Canada's choices regarding
North American integration." The Border Papers were published with the
financial backing of the Donner Canadian Foundation. Generally the
border papers advocate deep integration between Canada and the U.S.,
and the first border paper "Shaping the Future of the North American
Economic Space: A Framework for Action" by Wendy Dobson popularized the
term "the Big Idea" as one euphemism for deep integration. To read the
border papers, you can visit the C.D. Howe Institute website at www.cdhowe.org. Use the publication search form (1996 to current, PDF) and choose "border papers" from the "Serie contains" drop down menu.
June 28, 2002: John Manley and Tom Ridge announce
progress on the Smart Border Declaration, including “stepped up
intelligence cooperation with Canada,” “common standards for using
biometric identifiers, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, and
iris scanning, to confirm the identify of travelers,” and “a common
approach to screen international air passengers before they arrive in
either country and identify those who warrant additional security
scrutiny.”
September 9, 2002: President Bush and Prime Minister
Chrétien meet to discuss progress on the Smart Border Action Plan and
ask that they be updated regularly on the work being done to harmonize
our common border.
December 5, 2002: The text of the Safe Third Country
Agreement is signed by officials of Canada and the United States as
part of the Smart Border Action Plan. See the final text here: Final Text of the Safe Third Country Agreement
Refugee support groups on both sides of the Canadian-U.S. border
criticize the new agreement dealing with refugees for stipulating that
refugees must seek asylum in whichever of the two countries they reach
first. Critics say that preventing individuals who first set foot in
the U.S. from making a claim in Canada will increase cases of human
smuggling, and that other refugees will be forced to live without any
kind of legal status in the U.S. See for example: 10 Reasons Why Safe Third Country is a Bad Deal
September 11, 2002: The National Post publishes an
article by Alan Gotlieb, the chairman of the Donner Canadian Foundation
and Canada's ambassador to the United States from 1981 to 1989, titled
"Why not a grand bargain with the U.S.?" In the article, Gotlieb asks
"Rather than eschewing further integration with the United States,
shouldn't we be building on NAFTA to create new rules, new tribunals,
new institutions to secure our trade? Wouldn't this 'legal integration'
be superior to ad hoc responses and largely ineffective lobbying to
prevent harm from Congressional protectionist sorties? Wouldn't our
economic security be enhanced by establishing a single North American
competitive market without anti-dumping and countervail rules? Are
there not elements of a grand bargain to be struck, combining North
American economic, defence and security arrangements within a common
perimeter?" See: Why not a grand bargain with the U.S.?
September 26, 2002: Canadian citizen Maher Arar is
detained in New York while passing through John F. Kennedy Airport and
held for 12 days by U.S. officials then deported to Syria where he is
tortured and imprisoned for a year. In 2006, a Canadian government
commission into the affair blames the unfiltered sharing of faulty
information between Canadian and U.S. security agencies, which is
specifically mandated in the Smart Border Declaration.
November 1-2, 2002: Robert Pastor presents "A North
American Community. A Modest Proposal To the Trilateral Commission," to
the North American Regional Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Pastor
called for implementation of "a series of political proposals which
would have authority over the sovereignty of the United States, Canada
and Mexico. ... the creation of North American passports and a North
American Customs and Immigrations, which would have authority over U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the Department of
Homeland Security. A North American Parliamentary Group would oversee
the U.S. Congress. A Permanent Court on Trade and Investment would
resolve disputes within NAFTA, exerting final authority over the
judgments of the U.S. Supreme Court. A North American Commission would
'develop an integrated continental plan for transportation and
infrastructure.'" See: A North American Community. A Modest Proposal To the Trilateral Commission
December, 2002: US Secretary Colin Powell signs an
agreement between the United States and Canada to establish a new
bi-national planning group at the North American Aerospace Defense
Command (NORAD) headquarters in Colorado Springs. The new bi-national
planning group is expected to release a report recommending how the
militaries of U.S. and Canada can "work together more effectively to
counter land-based and maritime threats." See: U.S. and Canada Sign Bi-National Agreement on Military Planning
January 2003: The Canadian Council of Chief Executives
headed by Tom D'Aquino (also a member of the trinational Task Force on
the Future of North America) launches the North American Security and
Prosperity Initiative (NASPI) in January 2003 in response to an alleged
"need for a comprehensive North American strategy integrating economic
and security issues". NASPI has five main elements, which include:
Reinventing borders, Maximizing regulatory efficiencies, Negotiation of
a comprehensive resource security pact, Reinvigorating the North
American defence alliance, and Creating a new institutional framework.
See: North American Security and Prosperity Initiative (PDF).
April 3, 2003: The CCCE sets up an “Action Group on
North American Security and Prosperity,” which is comprised of 30 CEOs
including former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s former chief
of staff, Derek Burney. On April 7, this action group meets with Tom
Ridge, John Manley, then U.S. ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci and
prominent U.S. neocon Richard Perle in Washington, D.C. to discuss the
Security and Prosperity Initiative.
October 21, 2003: Dr. Robert Pastor gives testimony
to the U.S. House of Representatives, International Relations
Committee, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs on "U.S. Policy
toward the Western Hemisphere:Challenges and Opportunities" in which he
recommends the formation of a "North American Community."
January 2004: NAFTA celebrates its tenth anniversary with controversy, as it is both praised and criticized.
January/February 2004: The Council on Foreign Relations
publishes Robert Pastor's paper "North America's Second Decade," which
advocates further North American integration. Read it at: North America's Second Decade
April 16, 2004: The CCCE holds its Spring Members
meeting in Washington, D.C., bringing close to 100 CEOs together to
discuss North American integration with politicians including John
Manley, Condoleeza Rice and Jim Peterson.
April 2004: The Canadian Council of Chief Executives
(CCCE) publishes a major discussion paper titled "New Frontiers:
Building a 21st Century Canada-United States Partnership in North
America." Some of the paper’s 15 recommendations expand on the NASPI
framework in areas such as tariff harmonization, rules of origin, trade
remedies, energy strategy, core defence priorities and the need to
strengthen Canada-United States institutions, including the North
American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). Other recommendations focus
on the process for developing and executing a comprehensive strategy,
including the need for greater coordination across government
departments, between federal and provincial governments and between the
public and private sectors. See: Building a 21st Century Canada-United States Partnership in North America
October 2004: The Canada-Mexico Partnership (CMP) is launched during the visit of President Vicente Fox to Ottawa. See: Canada-Mexico Partnership (CMP)
November 1, 2004: The Independent Task Force on the
Future of North America is formed. The task force is a trilateral task
force charged with developing a "roadmap" to promote North American
security and advance the well-being of citizens of all three countries.
The task force is chaired by former Liberal Deputy Prime Minister John
Manley. It is sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in
association with the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) and
the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales.
March 14, 2005: The Independent Task Force on the
Future of North America releases "Creating a North American Community -
Chairmen’s Statement." Three former high-ranking government officials
from Canada, Mexico, and the United States call for a North American
economic and security community by 2010 to address shared security
threats, challenges to competitiveness, and interest in broad-based
development across the three countries. Among its key recommendations
are the establishment of a continental security perimeter, a common
external tariff, a common border pass for all North Americans, a North
American energy and natural resources strategy, and an annual meeting
where North American leaders can discuss steps towards economic and
security integration. See: Creating a North American Community Chairmen’s Statement
March 14, 2005: Robert Pastor, author of "Toward a
North American Community" and member of the task force on the future of
North America, publishes an article titled "The Paramount Challenge for
North America: Closing the Development Gap," sponsored by the North
American Development Bank, which recommends forming a North American
Community as a way to address economic inequalities due to NAFTA
between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. See: THE PARAMOUNT CHALLENGE FOR NORTH AMERICA: CLOSING THE DEVELOPMENT GAP (PDF)
March 23, 2005: The leaders of Canada, the United
States and Mexico sign the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) of
North America at the trilateral summit in Waco, Texas. Canada is signed
on by Prime Minister Paul Martin. See: www.spp.gov.
March 24, 2005: The 40 Point Smart Regulation Plan is
launched as part of the SPP agreement. It is a far-reaching plan to
introduce huge changes to Canada's regulatory system in order to
eliminate some regulations and harmonize other regulations with the
U.S. Reg Alcock, President of the Treasury Board and Minister
responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, launches the Government of
Canada's implementation plan for Smart Regulation at a Newsmaker
Breakfast at the National Press Club. For the original plan and updates
see: Smart Regulation: Report on Actions and Plans
March 2005: Agreement to build the Texas NAFTA
Superhighway: “A ‘Comprehensive Development Agreement’ [is] signed by
the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to build the ‘TTC-35
High Priority Corridor’ parallel to Interstate 35. The contracting
party involved a limited partnership formed between Cintra Concesiones
de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A., a publically listed company
headquartered in Spain, owned by the Madrid-based Groupo Ferrovial, and
a San Antonio-based construction company, Zachry Construction Corp.”
Texas Segment of NAFTA Super Highway Nears Construction, Jerome R.
Corsi, June 2006, www.Humaneventsonline.com The proposed NAFTA
superhighway will be a 10 lane super highway four football fields wide
that will travel through the heart of the U.S. along Interstate 35,
from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian border north
of Duluth. Minn. The "Trans-Texas Corridor" or TTC will be the first
leg of the NAFTA superhighway.
April 2005: U.S. Senate Bill 853 is introduced by
Senator Richard G. Lugar (IN) and six cosponsors. “The North American
Security Cooperative Act (NASCA) is touted as a bill to protect the
American public from terrorists by creating the North American Union.
The North American Union consists of three countries, U.S., Canada, and
Mexico, with open borders, something that is proposed to be in effect
by 2010. Thus, it would ensure the fulfillment of the Security and
Prosperity Partnership of North America.” NASCA Rips America, April
2005, www.Freemarketnews.com
May 2005: The Council on Foreign Relations Press
publishes the report of the Independent Task Force on the Future of
North America, titled "Building a North American Community" (task force
report 53). See: Building a North American Community
June 2005: A follow-up SPP meeting is held in Ottawa, Canada.
June 2005: A U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee
policy paper is released: “The CFR did not mention the Central America
Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), but it is obvious that it is part of the
scheme. This was made clear by the Senate Republican Policy Committee
policy paper released in June 2005. It argued that Congress should pass
CAFTA … The Senate Republican policy paper argued that CAFTA ‘will
promote democratic governance.’But there is nothing democratic about
CAFTA’s many pages of grants of vague authority to foreign tribunals on
which foreign judges can force us to change our domestic laws to be ‘no
more burdensome than necessary’on foreign trade.” CFR's Plan to
Integrate the U.S., Mexico and Canada, July 2005, www.Eagleforum.org
June 9, 2005: CNN's Lou Dobbs, reporting on Dr. Robert
Pastor's congressional testimony as one of the six co-chairmen of the
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Independent Task Force on North
America, began his evening broadcast with this announcement: "Good
evening, everybody. Tonight, an astonishing proposal to expand our
borders to incorporate Mexico and Canada and simultaneously further
diminish U.S. sovereignty. Have our political elites gone mad?"
June 27, 2005: NDP critic for International Trade and
Globalization, Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster) says "The Liberal
minority government is fast tracking Canada into an agenda of deep
integration with the US and Mexico without a mandate from Canadians or
consultation with Parliament". See NDP Demands Transparency In Can/US/Mexico Talks
July 2005: The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) passes in the U.S. House of Representatives by a 217-215 vote.
October 2005: The inaugural meeting of the North
American Forum, which brings together U.S., Canadian and Mexican
government and business representatives to discuss issues related to
continental economic and social integration, is held at a secret
location in Sonoma, California. Invitees to the event, which is chaired
jointly by former U.S. secretary of state George Shultz, former Mexican
finance minister Pedro Aspe, and former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed,
include John Manley, Mexican ambassador to the U.S. Carlos de Icaza,
Chevron CEO David O'Reilly, former head of the CIA James Woolsey, and a
host of U.S. policy advisors to George W. Bush.
January 2006: Conservative Stephen Harper is elected Prime Minister of Canada with a minority government.
January 10-11, 2006: Government officials and corporate
leaders from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico meet in Louisville, Kentucky
for a “Public-Private Dialogue” around the SPP. Discussion hits on
“marrying policy issues with business priorities,” expanding the SPP
“beyond those identified in the initial stages of the process,” and
building a “genuine constituency for North American integration.” A
North American council on competitiveness, comprised entirely of
corporate leaders, is discussed.
March 31, 2006: At the Summit of the Americas in
Cancun, Canada (under new Prime Minister Stephen Harper) along with the
U.S. and Mexico release the Leaders' Joint Statement. The statement
presents six action points to move toward a North American Union, aka a
North American Community. These action points include: 1) Establishment
of a Trilateral Regulatory Cooperative Framework 2) Establishment of
the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC) 3) Provision for
North American Emergency Management 4) Provision for Avian and Human
Pandemic Influenza Management 5) Development of North American Energy
Security 6) Assure Smart, Secure North American Borders.
Read the full statement at: Leaders' Joint Statement
April 2006: A draft environmental impact statement on
the proposed first leg of the "NAFTA superhighway", the "Trans-Texas
Corridor" or TTC, is completed.
June 2006: Tom Tancredo, R-Colorado. demands
superstate accounting from the Bush administration: “Responding to a
Worldnetdaily.com report, Tom Tancredo is demanding the Bush
administration fully disclose the activities of an office implementing
a trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada that apparently could
lead to a North American union, despite having no authorization from
Congress.” Tancredo Confronts 'Super-State' Effort, June 2006,
www.Worldnetdaily.com
June 15, 2006: U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M.
Gutierrez convenes the first meeting of the North American
Competitiveness Council (NACC), the advisory group organized by the
Department of Commerce (DOC) under the auspices of the Security and
Prosperity Partnership (SPP) and announced by the leaders of Canada,
the U.S. and Mexico on March 31, 2006.
July 2006: Public hearings on the proposed "NAFTA superhighway" begin in the U.S.
August 15, 2006: The NACC meets in Washington, D.C. to
hash out priority issues for the SPP. The business leaders decide that
the U.S. secretariat of the NACC will deal with “regulatory
convergence,” the Canadian secretariat, housed by the CCCE, will deal
with “border facilitation,” and the Mexican secretariat will handle
“energy integration.” There is no media coverage of this event.
August 27, 2006: Patrick Wood (U.S.) publishes an article titled "Toward a North American Union" for The August Review. See: Toward a North American Union
August 28, 2006: A North American United Nations? by Republican Congressman Ron Paul (Texas) is published. See: A North American United Nations?
August 29, 2006: Patrick Buchanan (U.S.) criticizes a North American union in his article "The NAFTA super highway." See: The NAFTA super highway
September 12-14, 2006: A secret "North American Forum"
on integration is held at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Elite
participants from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico are present to discuss
“demographic and social dimensions of North American integration,”
security cooperation and a “North American energy strategy.” It is
ignored by the mainstream media. See the Vive le Canada.ca article for
the secret agenda and participant list: Deep Integration Planned at Secret Conference Ignored by the Media
September 13, 2006: Maclean’s magazine finally covers
the August 15 NACC meeting in an article by Luiza Savage titled “Meet
NAFTA 2.0.” The Maclean's article on integration notes that according
to Ron Covais, the president of the Americas for defence giant Lockheed
Martin, a former Pentagon adviser to Dick Cheney, and one of the
architects of North American integration, the political will to make
deep integration of the continent happen will last only for "less than
two years". According to the article, to make sure that the
establishment of a North American Union will take place in that time,
"The executives have boiled their priorities down to three: the
Canadian CEOs are focusing on 'border crossing facilitation,' the
Americans have taken on 'regulatory convergence,' and the Mexicans are
looking at 'energy integration' in everything from electrical grids to
the locating of liquid natural gas terminals. They plan to present
recommendations to the ministers in October. This is how the future of
North America now promises to be written: not in a sweeping trade
agreement on which elections will turn, but by the accretion of
hundreds of incremental changes implemented by executive agencies,
bureaucracies and regulators. 'We've decided not to recommend any
things that would require legislative changes,' says Covais. 'Because
we won't get anywhere.' " See: Meet NAFTA 2.0
February 23, 2007: SPP Ministerial meeting is held in
Ottawa, Canada, and attended by Canadian Ministry of Industry Maxime
Bernier, Mexican Secretary of the Economy Eduardo Sojo, U.S. Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter
MacKay, Mexican Secretary of External Affairs Patricia Espinosa
Castellano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff,
Canadian Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day, and Mexican Secretary
of the Interior Francisco Javier Ramirez Acuna. Officials also consult
with corporate CEOs, members of the North American Competitiveness
Council (NACC). The Council's 10 Canadian members were appointed last
summer by Prime Minister Harper and given privileged access to
government Ministers to push their corporate vision for continental
"integration". In a statement, the ministers responsible for the SPP
noted that they “recognize the importance of focusing on initiatives
that will further competitiveness and quality of life in North America,
and will continue to work together to successfully meet the security
and prosperity challenges of the 21st century.” The agenda of the
meeting is challenged by an alliance of citizen's groups in Canada, the
U.S. and Mexico. See: Tri-national ministerial meeting to star Rice and Chertoff, Trade, Competitiveness, and Security Issues at the Forefront of North American Ministerial Meeting and United
States Strengthens Ties with Canada, Mexico: Neighbors coming together
through Security and Prosperity Partnership, By David McKeeby
March 31-April 1, 2007: The Council of Canadians, the
Canadian Labour Congress and other progressive organizations hold a
teach-in in ottawa called Integrate This! Challenging the Security and
Prosperity Partnership. See Integrate This!
April 26-27, 2007: A closed-door roundtable meeting on
the Future of North American Environment 2025 is held in Calgary on
April 26 and 27 2007. This is the final concluding roundtable initiated
by three think tanks to address issues around where the Security and
Prosperity Partnership is going. The report is to be sent to the three
national governments, both for feedback and comments, at the end of
June 2007. NDP MP Peter Julian crashes the meeting, and due to his
presence there the Harper government pulls its delegation. Organisers
tell Julian that the federal government delegation was basically
stopped at the Airport from attending the final roundtable meetings on
the subject.
Thursday, May 10, 2007: Amid heated charges of a
coverup, Tory MPs abruptly shut down parliamentary hearings on the SPP,
a controversial plan to further integrate Canada and the U.S. They shut
the hearings down in reaction to the testimony of University of Alberta
professor and director of the Parkland Institute Gordon Laxer, who
testifies that Canadians will be left "to freeze in the dark" if the
government forges ahead with plans to integrate energy supplies across
North America. In response, the chair of the committee, Conservative MP
Leon Benoit (Vegreville-Wainwright), rules his testimony out of order
for being "irrelevant" to the hearings. When opposition MPs on the
committee vote down his ruling, Benoit blurts out that he is adjourning
the meeting, and proceeds to storm out with two other Conservative MPs.
[Some of this information was paraphrased from the article in the
Ottawa Citizen. For full article see "Tory chair storms out of SPP
hearing", Friday May 11, the Ottawa Citizen, Tory chair storms out of SPP hearing.]
Later, Gordon Laxer's presentation to the trade committee on SPP is
officially voted in as evidence by the committee. The full testimony is
printed in both the Calgary Herald and the Edmonton Journal on May 16,
2007. You can read it on Vive at: Latest News from Parkland Institute: Laxer Creates Stir on the Hill; or see the Edmonton Journal article, Canada-first energy strategy needed.
July 5, 2007: Prison Planet reports that the merger of
Canada, the U.S. and Mexico into a North American Union will be
formally presented to U.S. Congress at the end of summer, after more
meetings on the subject. See: Globalists To Formally Propose Merger Of U.S., Canada, Mexico
July 9, 2007: NDP MP Peter Julian starts gathering
signatures on a petition to stop the SPP. Signees "call upon the
Government of Canada to stop further implementation of the Security and
Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) with the United States
and Mexico until there is a democratic mandate from the people of
Canada, Parliamentary oversight, and consideration of its profound
consequences on Canada’s existence as a
sovereign nation and its ability to adopt autonomous and sustainable
economic, social, and environmental policies, and urge the Government
of Canada to conduct a transparent and accountable public debate of the
SPP process, involving meaningful public consultations with civil
society and a full legislative review, including the work,
recommendations, and reports of all SPP working groups, and a full
debate and a vote in Parliament." See Sign the Petition to Stop the SPP and Deep Integration
August 19, 2007: Protests against the SPP begin near
Montebello, Quebec and in cities across Canada to coincide with the Aug
20-21 SPP summit between Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, U.S.
President George W. Bush, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon . For a
photo report from Montebello see: Montebello Aug 19. For an eyewitness report from Edmonton see Edmonton SPP protest.
August 20-21, 2007: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, U.S. President George W. Bush, and Mexican President Felipe
Calderon meet for the third summit of the Security and Prosperity
Partnership in Montebello, QC under heavy security. At the summit, Bush
praises Canadian involvement in Afghanistan. Arctic sovereignty is also
discussed. One commitment to come out of the summit was a "regulatory
cooperation framework". A news release from Harper's office also
announced progress toward a continental plan to deal with flu
pandemics, a plan to crack down on goods bearing imitation trademarks,
and an agreement on energy security and environmental protection. All
three leaders mock protestors. CEOS from the NACC criticize leaders,
saying that: "On a handful of important issues progress has stalled and
the spirit of the SPP is being undermined." (Vancouver Sun, Aug. 22,
"SPP a political orphan because the three leaders aren't pushing it")
They urge that a border preclearance pilot project to move the customs
checkpoint inland at the Buffalo-Fort Erie crossing -- killed last
April by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security -- be quickly
implemented.
August 20, 2007: National day of action against the
SPP. A major protest is held at Montebello and others are held across
the country. For a photo report from Montebello see Montebello Aug 20. For an eyewitness report from Victoria see Victoria SPP protest.
