[MarchHare]

This article from the Financial Post is nearly two years old, but presumably the language contained within FIPA is unchanged since that time.

“There is nothing in this deal with China [the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement] that will protect Canadians there because they have not agreed to apply our laws there,” he said. “It’s quite unbelievable.”

In fact, the Tories, backed by a naïve Canadian Chamber of Commerce and a handful of big, conflicted business interests, have demonstrated the worst negotiating skills since Neville Chamberlain.

Ottawa capitulated to China on everything. The deal, using a hockey metaphor, allows only a select few to play on Team Canada on a small patch of ice in China and to be fouled, without remedies or referees. By contrast, Team China can play anywhere on Canadian ice, can appeal referee calls it dislikes and negotiate compensation for damages while in the penalty box behind closed doors.

The terms agreed to by Ottawa are unprecedented and would be laughed out of Britain, Brussels, Canberra or Washington. Beijing has negotiated a heads-I-win-tails-Canada-loses deal.

[...]

Opposition parties are screaming but they always do about trade deals. By contrast, I am a free enterpriser, a free trader, a small “c” conservative and an experienced business person and believe this agreement represents a naïve, shocking lapse in judgment.

There is not a single gain for Canada here whatsoever: No market access, no reciprocity, zero rights for our investors there. China Inc. gets everything.

Obviously, this deal would never have happened in Europe or the U.S. and Canadians must demand the same national protection. This deal must be overhauled or, better yet, shredded. The provincial governments must challenge this in the Supreme Court.

http://opinion.financialpost.com/201...too-one-sided/