Ottawa plans for October elections with some polls indicating the Conservative Party could gain a political majority for the first time in 20 years. While energy, the environment, and economy serve as major issues in the race, questions arise over the election's timing.
NAFTA was never intended to serve as a mechanism to regulate the flow of labor. And it failed to meet policymakers' promises of creating sufficient jobs in Mexico. Nevertheless, it has established a framework for trilateral discussions on migration. Read the entire article in the Summer 2008 issue of Americas Quarterly.
Blaming NAFTA—and free trade in general—for job losses is misplaced. As the U.S. continues to debate a 15-year-olf trade agreement, other countries are negotiating their own pacts—a fact that should prod the U.S. to not only strengthen NAFTA but also reinforce its commitment to trade expansion. Read the full article in the Summer 2008 issue of Americas Quarterly.
In recent weeks, Ottawa proved its growing clout in Latin America through a visit from Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, the approval of a trade pact with Peru, and completion of free-trade negotiations with Colombia.
In an article for Viewpoints Americas, AS/COA President Susan Segal writes that, while free trade and NAFTA have taken the blame for manufacturing job losses in the U.S. Midwest, trade accounts for a substantial portion of U.S. growth that supports Midwestern manufacturing and agriculture.
Writer Mark Abley, author of the acclaimed Spoken Here: Travels among Threatened Language, speaks at the launch of Review 76: Contemporary Canadian Writing and Arts.
Speaking at the COA’s 38th Washington Conference, Minister Prentice highlighted opportunities to improve North American trade flow, boost infrastructure, and enhance energy security.
