Aontú Calls on the Green Party to Oppose Ratification of CETA Deal

Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has called on the Green Party to oppose the CETA deal being ratified in Ireland, highlighting concerns over Investor Courts, labour standards and environmental protections.

An Teachta Tóibín:

“This Trade Agreement is benignly portrayed as another step towards free trade, but in reality is another distortion of trade relations to the benefit of unfair trading practices. Principal amongst these is the creation by CETA of an Investor Court at the behest of big business. This will allow multinational corporations to bypass national courts, and sue governments in a corporate court for alleged infringement of their rights. However, this mechanism in other trade agreements has been used and abused by big businesses to rebuke government attempts to place additional environmental, labour or human rights obligations on their way of doing business. This mechanism in future could very easily be used to contest changes to the minimum wage, environmental reporting standards or prohibitions on profiteering from human rights abuses. By affording such power and clout to multinational corporations to undermine the decisions of elected governments, this will have long term consequences for Ireland’s environmental performance or record on human rights.”

“Looking at the text of the Deal, the CETA Deal fails to adequately protect workers’ rights whilst unduly elevating the privileges and profit motives of corporations. In fact the ‘Trade & Labour’ provisions in Chapter 23 include no penalties for violations of workers’ rights compared to explicit provision for penalties in relation to ‘Customs & Trade Facilitation.’ Furthermore, the Investor Courts serves as a backdoor for environmental bad-faith actors to deter government action on climate change and torpedo regulations. This deal is a gift to big corporate interests who can well afford additional social obligations, but will fight tooth and nail not to.”

“Ireland is already beholden to the banks and too many privileged interests. The CETA Deal would only serve to further consolidate that fact to the detriment of our beautiful country and those most in need. That is why CETA must be opposed.”

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.