The Secrecy Continues - why won't they say it in public?

If you have followed any of the recent public hearings into the prospect and potential of Saskatchewan signing on to the B.C./Alberta Trade Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) you will know that the hearings raised more questions than answers.

Both the government and opposition members of the Standing Committee on the Economy (which is the committee in charge of conducting the public consultation) commented frequently during the process that they would be seeking answers to the many questions raised.

The committee advised that they would be having a session with respresentatives of both the B.C. and Alberta governments who would be appearing before the committee to answer questions.

I am now aware that the representatives of the B.C. and Alberta governments put a condition on their appearance before the Saskatchewan Legislative Committee. That being, that the questions would be asked, and answered behind closed doors, in secrecy, and out of the public eye. In other words "In Camera".

Here's the agenda to prove it: Standing Committee on the Economy Agenda - June 20, 2007.

Why is it, that the representatives of the governments of B.C. and Alberta are so embarassed of what they've signed that they will only discuss and explain it in secrecy? What are they afraid of? And what are they hiding?

Why won't the proponents of the TILMA scheme agree to public discussions and balanced seminars on the matter?

The answer to all of the above questions is that TILMA is not about Trade Investment or Labour Mobility at all. It is an instrument of deregulation, and it is a vehicle to strip away governments' ability and responsibility to legislate and regulate in the public interest.

TILMA is a massive assault on democracy and it's proponents are incapable of mounting a credible public defense of it - so they attempt to sell it, and sign it in secrecy, behind closed doors.