Archive for June 28th, 2012

What’s Behind Canada’s Entry to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks?

Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama formally extended an invitation to Canada to join the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, a proposed trade deal that includes the U.S., Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam (Mexico was also added last week). Supporters have lauded the TPP as potentially the world’s most important trade pact and the Canadian government spent months crossing the globe to lobby for an invitation.

Yet dig beneath the heady promises and my weekly technology law column (homepage version, Toronto Star version) notes that the benefits for Canada are hard to identify. The price of admission was very steep – Canada appears to have agreed to conditions that grant it second-tier status – and the economic benefits from improved access to TPP economies are likely to be relatively minor since we already have free trade agreements with four of the ten participants.

Given those conditions, why aggressively pursue entry into the negotiations?

Read more ›

June 28, 2012 10 comments Columns

What’s Behind Canada’s Entry to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks?

Appeared in the Toronto Star on June 24, 2012 as What’s Behind Canada’s Entry to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks?  Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama formally extended an invitation to Canada to join the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, a proposed trade deal that includes the U.S., Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, […]

Read more ›

June 28, 2012 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

Bill C-11 Scheduled For Third Reading at the Senate Today

Bill C-11 is scheduled for third reading at the Senate today, paving the way for the bill’s passage and royal assent tomorrow. I posted my thoughts on the public’s impact on the substance of the bill earlier this month.

Read more ›

June 28, 2012 9 comments News

UNESCO’s 2012 Paris OER Declaration

UNESCO held the World Open Educational Resources Congress in Paris last week with delegates releasing a declaration in support of OERs and open licensing frameworks.

Read more ›

June 28, 2012 Comments are Disabled News