September 11, 2006
Canadian, U.S., and Mexican elites, including CEOS and politicians, have a
plan to create common North American policies and further integrate our
economies. This plan goes by various names and euphemisms, such as "deep
integration", "NAFTA-plus", "harmonization", the
"Big Idea", the "Grand Bargain", and the "North
American Security and Prosperity Initiative". Regardless of which name your
prefer, the end goal of all of these plans is to create a new political and
economic entity that would supercede the existing countries. Advocates refer to
it as a "North American Community", but it is also known as the North
American Union (NAU). Theoretically, it would be similar to and competetive with
the European Union (EU). The individual currencies of each country would be
replaced by a common currency called the "Amero" and everything from
environmental regulations to security would be brought in line with a common
standard.
Vive le Canada.ca offers the following timeline as a resource to educate the
general public about the progress of the three countries toward a new North
American Union (NAU).
Vive le Canada.ca opposes the creation of the North American Union (NAU)
because we believe it will mean the loss of Canadian sovereignty and democracy
and hand over more power to giant, unelected corporations. We also believe that
unlike the EU, the countries joining the NAU are not roughly equal in size and
power and that this means the U.S. will most certainly be setting policy for all
three countries. Considering the unpopularity of the Bush administration and its
policies in the U.S., Canada, and around the world we believe that erasing the
borders between our countries and adopting U.S. policies at this time is a bad
idea and will create economic, political and military insecurity in this
country. We hope that raising awareness about the plan to create a North
American Union (NAU) will create opposition and encourage debate in all three
countries, but especially in Canada.
Note: This timeline is a work in progress and will be updated as events
progress. If you notice a correction that needs to be made or an event that
should be included, please email susan.thompson@vivelecanada.ca
- 1921: The Council on Foreign Relations is founded by Edward Mandell
House, who had been the chief advisor of President Woodrow Wilson.
- 1973: David Rockefeller asks Zbigniew Brzezinski and a few others,
including from the Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations and
the Ford Foundation, to put together an organization of the top political,
and business leaders from around the world. He calls this group the
Trilateral Commission (TC). The first meeting of the group is held in Tokyo
in October. See: Trilateral
Commission FAQ
- 1974: Richard Gardner, one of the members of the Trilateral
Commission, publishes an article titled "The Hard Road to World
Order" which appeared in Foreign Affairs magazine, published by the
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). In the article he wrote: "In short,
the 'house of world order' would have to be built from the bottom up rather
than from the top down. It will look like a great 'booming, buzzing
confusion,' to use William James' famous description of reality, but an end
run around national sovereignty, eroding it piece by piece, will accomplish
much more than the old-fashioned frontal assault." Gardner advocated
treaties and trade agreements as a means of creating a new economic world
order. See: The
Hard Road to World Order
- November 13, 1979: While officially declaring his candidacy for
U.S. President, Ronald Reagan proposes a “North American Agreement”
which will produce “a North American continent in which the goods and
people of the three countries will cross boundaries more freely.”
- January 1981: U.S. President Ronald Reagan proposes a North
American common market.
- September 4, 1984: Conservative Brian Mulroney is elected Prime
Minister of Canada after opposing free trade during the campaign.
- September 25, 1984: Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney meets
President Reagan in Washington and promises closer relations with the US.
- October 9, 1984: The US Congress adopts the Trade and Tariff Act,
an omnibus trade act that notably extends the powers of the president to
concede trade benefits and enter into bilateral free trade agreements. The
Act would be passed on October 30, 1984.
- 1985: A Canadian Royal Commission on the economy chaired by former
Liberal Minister of Finance Donald S. Macdonald issues a report to the
Government of Canada recommending free trade with the United States.
- St. Patrick's Day, 1985: Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and
President Ronald Reagan sing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"
together to cap off the "Shamrock Summit", a 24-hour meeting in
Quebec City that opened the door to future free trade talks between the
countries. Commentator Eric Kierans observed that "The general
impression you get, is that our prime minister invited his boss home for
dinner." Canadian historian Jack Granatstein said that this
"public display of sucking up to Reagan may have been the single most
demeaning moment in the entire political history of Canada's relations with
the United States."
- September 26, 1985: Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
announces that Canada will try to reach a free trade agreement with the US.
- December 10, 1985: U.S. President Reagan officially informs
Congress about his intention to negotiate a free trade agreement with Canada
under the authority of trade promotion. Referred to as fast track, trade
promotion authority is an accelerated legislative procedure which obliges
the House of Representatives and the Senate to decide within 90 days whether
or not to establish a trade trade unit. No amendments are permitted.
- May 1986: Canadian and American negotiators begin to work out a
free trade deal. The Canadian team is led by former deputy Minister of
Finance Simon Reisman and the American side by Peter O. Murphy, the former
deputy United States trade representative in Geneva.
- October 3, 1987: The 20-chapter Canada–United States Free Trade
Agreement (CUSFTA or FTA) is finalized. U.S. trade representative Clayton
Yeutter offers this observation: "We've signed a stunning new trade
pact with Canada. The Canadians don't understand what they've signed. In
twenty years, they will be sucked into the U.S. economy."
- November 6, 1987: Signing of a framework agreement between the US
and Mexico.
- January 2, 1988: Prime Minister Mulroney and President Reagan
officially sign the FTA.
- January 1, 1989: The Canada US Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA or FTA)
goes into effect.
- June 10, 1990: Presidents Bush (U.S.) and Salinas (Mexico) announce
that they will begin discussions aimed at liberalizing trade between their
countries.
- August 21, 1990: Mexican President Salinas officially proposes to
the US president the negotiation of a free trade agreement between Mexico
and the US.
- February 5, 1991: Negotiations between the US and Mexico aimed at
liberalizing trade between the two countries officially become trilateral at
the request of the Canadian government under Brian Mulroney.
- April 7 to 10, 1991: Cooperation agreements are signed between
Mexico and Canada covering taxation, cultural production and exports.
- May 24, 1991: The American Senate endorses the extension of fast
track authority in order to facilitate the negotiation of free trade with
Mexico.
- June 12, 1991: Start of trade negotiations between Canada, the US
and Mexico.
- April 4, 1992 Signing in Mexico by Canada and Mexico of a protocol
agreement on cooperation projects regarding labour.
- August 12, 1992: Signing of an agreement in principle on NAFTA.
- September 17, 1992: Creation of a trilateral commission responsible
for examining cooperation in the area of the environment.
- October 7, 1992: Official signing of NAFTA by Michael Wilson of
Canada (minister), American ambassador Carla Hills and Mexican secretary
Jaime Serra Puche, in San Antonio (Texas).
- December 17, 1992: Official signing of NAFTA by Canadian Prime
Minister Brian Mulroney, US president George Bush, and Mexican president
Carlos Salinas de Gortari, subject to its final approval by the federal
Parliaments of the three countries.
- March 17 and 18, 1993: Start of tripartite discussions in
Washington aimed at reaching subsidiary agreements covering labor and the
environment.
- September 14, 1993: Official signing of parallel agreements
covering labor and the environment in the capitals of the three countries.
- 1993: The Liberal Party under Jean Chretien promises to renegotiate
NAFTA in its campaign platform, titled "Creating Opportunity: the
Liberal Plan for Canada" and also known as The Red Book.
- December 1993: Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien
signs NAFTA without changes, breaking his promise to renegotiate NAFTA. U.S.
President Bill Clinton signs NAFTA for the U.S.
- November 1993: The North American Development Bank (NADB) and its
sister institution, the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC),
are created under the auspices of the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) to address environmental issues in the U.S.-Mexico border region.
The two institutions initiate operations under the November 1993 Agreement
Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of
the United Mexican States Concerning the Establishment of a Border
Environment Cooperation Commission and a North American Development Bank
(the “Charter”). See: About
Us (The North American Development Bank)
- January 1, 1994: NAFTA and the two agreements on labour and the
environment go into effect, replacing CUSFTA.
- November 16, 1994: Canada and Mexico sign a cooperation agreement
regarding the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
- December 1994: The Summit of the Americas is held in Miami. The
three signatories of NAFTA officially invite Chile to become a contractual
party of the agreement. The Free Trade Area of the Americas or FTAA is
initiated. According to the offical FTAA website, "the Heads of State
and Government of the 34 democracies in the region agreed to construct a
Free Trade Area of the Americas, or FTAA, in which barriers to trade and
investment will be progressively eliminated. They agreed to complete
negotiations towards this agreement by the year 2005 and to achieve
substantial progress toward building the FTAA by 2000." See: FTAA
- December 22, 1994: Mexican monetary authorities decide to let the
Peso float. The US and Canada open a US$6 billion line of credit for Mexico.
- January 3, 1995: Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo presents an
emergency plan.
- January 1995: President Clinton announces an aid plan for Mexico.
- February 9, 1995: Mickey Kantor, the US Foreign Trade
representative, announces Washington’s intention to include the provisions
of NAFTA regarding labor and the environment in negotiations with Chile.
- February 21, 1995: Signing in Washington of an agreement regarding
the financial assistance given to Mexico. Mexico in turn promises to pay
Mexican oil export revenue as a guarantee into an account at the Federal
Reserve in New York.
- February 28, 1995: Mexico announces the increase of its customs
duties on a number of imports from countries with which it does not have a
free trade agreement.
- March 9, 1995: President Zedillo presents austerity measures. The
plan envisages a 50% increase in value added taxes, a 10% reduction of
government expenditure, a 35% increase in gas prices, a 20% increase in
electricity prices and a 100% increase in transportation prices. The minimum
wage is increased by 10%. The private sector can benefit from government
assistance. The inter-bank rate that is reduced to 74% will be increased to
109% on March 15.
- March 29, 1995: Statistical data on US foreign trade confirms the
sharp increase in Mexican exports to the US.
- April 10, 1995: The US dollar reaches its lowest level in history
on the international market. It depreciated by 50% relative to the Japanese
yen in only four years.
- June 7, 1995: First meeting of the ministers of Foreign Trade of
Canada (Roy MacLaren), the US (Mickey Kantor), Mexico (Herminio Blanco) and
Chile (Eduardo Aninat) to start negotiations.
- December 29, 1995: Chile and Canada commit to negotiate a bilateral
free trade agreement.
- June 3, 1996: Chile and Canada start negotiating the reciprocal
opening of markets in Santiago.
- November 18, 1996: Signing in Ottawa of the Canada-Chile free trade
agreement by Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of Canada and Eduardo Frei,
President of Chile. The agreement frees 80% of trade between the two
countries. It is the first free trade agreement signed between Chile and a
member of the G 7.
- July 4, 1997: The Canada-Chile free trade agreement comes into
effect.
- 1997: The US presidency proposes applying NAFTA parity to Caribbean
countries.
- April 17, 1998: Signing in Santiago, Chile of the free trade
agreement between Chile and Mexico by President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León
of Mexico, and President Eduardo Frei of Chile.
- August 1, 1999: The Chile-Mexico free trade agreement comes into
effect.
- September, 1999: The Canadian right-wing think tank the Fraser
Institute publishes a paper by Herbert G. Grubel titled "The Case for
the Amero: The Economics and Politics of a North American Monetary
Union." In the paper Grubel argues that a common currency is not
inevitable but it is desirable. See: The
Case for the Amero
- July 2, 2000: Vicente Fox Quesada of the National Action Party
(PAN), is elected president of Mexico, thus ending the reign of the
Revolutionary Institutional Party (RIP) that had held power for 71 years.
Mr. Fox is sworn in on 1 December 2000.
- July 4, 2000: Mexican president Vicente Fox proposes a 20 to 30
year timeline for the creation of a common North American market. President
Fox’s “20/20 vision” as it is commonly called, includes the following:
a customs union, a common external tariff, greater coordination of policies,
common monetary policies, free flow of labor, and fiscal transfers for the
development of poor Mexican regions. With the model of the European Fund in
mind, President Fox suggests that US$10 to 30 billion be invested in NAFTA
to support underdeveloped regions. The fund could be administered by an
international financial institution such as the Inter-American Development
Bank.
- November 27, 2000: Trade negotiations resume between the US and
Chile for Chile’s possible entry into NAFTA.
- 2001: Robert Pastor's 2001 book "Toward a North American
Community" is published. The book calls for the creation of a North
American Union (NAU).
- April 2001: Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and US President
George W. Bush sign the Declaration of Quebec City at the third Summit of
the Americas: “This is a ‘commitment to hemispheric integration."
See: Declaration
of Quebec City
- August 30, 2001: The Institute for International Economics issues a
press release advocating that the United States and Mexico should use the
occasion of the visit of President Vicente Fox of Mexico on September 4-7 to
develop a North American Community as advocated by Robert Pastor in his book
"Toward a North American Community." See: A
Blueprint for a North American Community
- September 11, 2001: A series of coordinated suicide terrorist
attacks upon the United States, predominantly targeting civilians, are
carried out on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Two planes (United Airlines
Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11) crashed into the World Trade
Center in New York City, one plane into each tower (One and Two). Both
towers collapsed within two hours. The pilot of the third team crashed a
plane into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. Passengers and
members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft attempted to retake
control of their plane from the hijackers; that plane crashed into a field
near the town of Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
Excluding the 19 hijackers, a confirmed 2,973 people died and another 24
remain listed as missing as a result of these attacks. In response, the Bush
administration launches the "war on terror" and becomes very
concerned with security.
- December 2001: New U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci publicly
advocates "NAFTA-plus". See: The
Emergence of a North American Community?
- December 2001: U.S. Governor Tom Ridge and Canadian Deputy Prime
Minister John Manley sign the Smart Border Declaration and Associated
30-Point Action Plan to Enhance the Security of Our Shared Border While
Facilitating the Legitimate Flow of People and Goods. The Action Plan has
four pillars: the secure flow of people, the secure flow of goods, secure
infrastructure, and information. It includes shared customs data, a safe
third-country agreement, harmonized commercial processing, etc.
- February 7, 2002: Robert Pastor gives invited testimony before the
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, House of
Commons, Government of Canada, Ottawa. See: INVITED
TESTIMONY OF DR. ROBERT A. PASTOR
- April 2002: The Canadian right-wing think tank the C.D. Howe
Institute publishes the first paper in the "Border Papers" series,
which they have described as "a project on Canada's choices regarding
North American integration." The Border Papers were published with the
financial backing of the Donner Canadian Foundation. Generally the border
papers advocate deep integration between Canada and the U.S., and the first
border paper "Shaping the Future of the North American Economic Space:
A Framework for Action" by Wendy Dobson popularized the term "the
Big Idea" as one euphemism for deep integration. To read the border
papers, you can visit the C.D. Howe Institute website at www.cdhowe.org.
Use the publication search form (1996 to current, PDF) and choose
"border papers" from the "Serie contains" drop down
menu.
- September 9, 2002: President Bush and Prime Minister Chrétien meet
to discuss progress on the Smart Border Action Plan and ask that they be
updated regularly on the work being done to harmonize our common border.
- December 5, 2002: The text of the Safe Third Country Agreement is
signed by officials of Canada and the United States as part of the Smart
Border Action Plan. See the final text here: Final
Text of the Safe Third Country Agreement Refugee support groups on both
sides of the Canadian-U.S. border criticize the new agreement dealing with
refugees for stipulating that refugees must seek asylum in whichever of the
two countries they reach first. Critics say that preventing individuals who
first set foot in the U.S. from making a claim in Canada will increase cases
of human smuggling, and that other refugees will be forced to live without
any kind of legal status in the U.S. See for example: 10
Reasons Why Safe Third Country is a Bad Deal
- September 11, 2002: The National Post publishes an article by Alan
Gotlieb, the chairman of the Donner Canadian Foundation and Canada's
ambassador to the United States from 1981 to 1989, titled "Why not a
grand bargain with the U.S.?" In the article, Gotlieb asks "Rather
than eschewing further integration with the United States, shouldn't we be
building on NAFTA to create new rules, new tribunals, new institutions to
secure our trade? Wouldn't this 'legal integration' be superior to ad hoc
responses and largely ineffective lobbying to prevent harm from
Congressional protectionist sorties? Wouldn't our economic security be
enhanced by establishing a single North American competitive market without
anti-dumping and countervail rules? Are there not elements of a grand
bargain to be struck, combining North American economic, defence and
security arrangements within a common perimeter?" See: Why
not a grand bargain with the U.S.?
- November 1-2, 2002: Robert Pastor presents "A North American
Community. A Modest Proposal To the Trilateral Commission," to the
North American Regional Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Pastor called for
implementation of "a series of political proposals which would have
authority over the sovereignty of the United States, Canada and Mexico. ...
the creation of North American passports and a North American Customs and
Immigrations, which would have authority over U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) within the Department of Homeland Security. A North
American Parliamentary Group would oversee the U.S. Congress. A Permanent
Court on Trade and Investment would resolve disputes within NAFTA, exerting
final authority over the judgments of the U.S. Supreme Court. A North
American Commission would 'develop an integrated continental plan for
transportation and infrastructure.'" See: A
North American Community. A Modest Proposal To the Trilateral Commission
- December 6, 2002: The White House issues an update on the progress
of the Smart Border Action Plan. See: U.S.
Canada Smart Border 30 Point Action Plan Update
- December, 2002: US Secretary Colin Powell signs an agreement
between the United States and Canada to establish a new bi-national planning
group at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) headquarters
in Colorado Springs. The new bi-national planning group is expected to
release a report recommending how the militaries of U.S. and Canada can
"work together more effectively to counter land-based and maritime
threats." See: U.S.
and Canada Sign Bi-National Agreement on Military Planning
- January 2003: The Canadian Council of Chief Executives headed by
Tom D'Aquino (also a member of the trinational Task Force on the Future of
North America) launches the North American Security and Prosperity
Initiative (NASPI) in January 2003 in response to an alleged "need for
a comprehensive North American strategy integrating economic and security
issues". NASPI has five main elements, which include: Reinventing
borders, Maximizing regulatory efficiencies, Negotiation of a comprehensive
resource security pact, Reinvigorating the North American defence alliance,
and Creating a new institutional framework. See: North
American Security and Prosperity Initiative (PDF).
- October 21, 2003: Dr. Robert Pastor gives testimony to the U.S.
House of Representatives, International Relations Committee, Subcommittee on
Western Hemisphere Affairs on "U.S. Policy toward the Western
Hemisphere:Challenges and Opportunities" in which he recommends the
formation of a "North American Community."
- January 2004: NAFTA celebrates its tenth anniversary with
controversy, as it is both praised and criticized.
- January/February 2004: The Council on Foreign Relations publishes
Robert Pastor's paper "North America's Second Decade," which
advocates further North American integration. Read it at: North
America's Second Decade
- April 2004: The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE)
publishes a major discussion paper titled "New Frontiers: Building a
21st Century Canada-United States Partnership in North America." Some
of the paper’s 15 recommendations expand on the NASPI framework in areas
such as tariff harmonization, rules of origin, trade remedies, energy
strategy, core defence priorities and the need to strengthen Canada-United
States institutions, including the North American Aerospace Defence Command
(NORAD). Other recommendations focus on the process for developing and
executing a comprehensive strategy, including the need for greater
coordination across government departments, between federal and provincial
governments and between the public and private sectors. See: Building
a 21st Century Canada-United States Partnership in North America
- October 2004: The Canada-Mexico Partnership (CMP) is launched
during the visit of President Vicente Fox to Ottawa. See: Canada-Mexico
Partnership (CMP)
- November 1, 2004: The Independent Task Force on the Future of North
America is formed. The task force is a trilateral task force charged with
developing a "roadmap" to promote North American security and
advance the well-being of citizens of all three countries. The task force is
chaired by former Liberal Deputy Prime Minister John Manley. It is sponsored
by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in association with the Canadian
Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) and the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos
Internacionales.
- December 29, 2004: The Safe Third Country Agreement comes into
force. See: Safe
Third Country Agreement Comes Into Force Today
- March 2005: The Independent Task Force on the Future of North
America releases "Creating a North American Community - Chairmen’s
Statement." Three former high-ranking government officials from Canada,
Mexico, and the United States call for a North American economic and
security community by 2010 to address shared security threats, challenges to
competitiveness, and interest in broad-based development across the three
countries. See: Creating
a North American Community Chairmen’s Statement
- March 14, 2005: Robert Pastor, author of "Toward a North
American Community" and member of the task force on the future of North
America, publishes an article titled "The Paramount Challenge for North
America: Closing the Development Gap," sponsored by the North American
Development Bank, which recommends forming a North American Community as a
way to address economic inequalities due to NAFTA between Canada, the U.S.
and Mexico. See: THE
PARAMOUNT CHALLENGE FOR NORTH AMERICA: CLOSING THE DEVELOPMENT GAP (PDF)
- March 23, 2005: The leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico
sign the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) of North America at the
trilateral summit in Waco, Texas. Canada is signed on by Prime Minister Paul
Martin. See: www.spp.gov.
- March 24, 2005: The 40 Point Smart Regulation Plan is launched as
part of the SPP agreement. It is a far-reaching plan to introduce huge
changes to Canada's regulatory system in order to eliminate some regulations
and harmonize other regulations with the U.S. Reg Alcock, President of the
Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board,
launches the Government of Canada's implementation plan for Smart Regulation
at a Newsmaker Breakfast at the National Press Club. For the original plan
and updates see: Smart
Regulation: Report on Actions and Plans
- March 2005: Agreement to build the Texas NAFTA Superhighway: “A
‘Comprehensive Development Agreement’ [is] signed by the Texas
Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to build the ‘TTC-35 High Priority
Corridor’ parallel to Interstate 35. The contracting party involved a
limited partnership formed between Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de
Transporte, S.A., a publically listed company headquartered in Spain, owned
by the Madrid-based Groupo Ferrovial, and a San Antonio-based construction
company, Zachry Construction Corp.” Texas Segment of NAFTA Super Highway
Nears Construction, Jerome R. Corsi, June 2006, www.Humaneventsonline.com
The proposed NAFTA superhighway will be a 10 lane super highway four
football fields wide that will travel through the heart of the U.S. along
Interstate 35, from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian
border north of Duluth. Minn. The "Trans-Texas Corridor" or TTC
will be the first leg of the NAFTA superhighway.
- April 2005: U.S. Senate Bill 853 is introduced by Senator Richard
G. Lugar (IN) and six cosponsors. “The North American Security Cooperative
Act (NASCA) is touted as a bill to protect the American public from
terrorists by creating the North American Union. The North American Union
consists of three countries, U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with open borders,
something that is proposed to be in effect by 2010. Thus, it would ensure
the fulfillment of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North
America.” NASCA Rips America, April 2005, www.Freemarketnews.com
- May 2005: The Council on Foreign Relations Press publishes the
report of the Independent Task Force on the Future of North America, titled
"Building a North American Community" (task force report 53). See:
Building
a North American Community
- June 2005: A follow-up SPP meeting is held in Ottawa, Canada.
- June 2005: A U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee policy paper
is released: “The CFR did not mention the Central America Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA), but it is obvious that it is part of the scheme. This was
made clear by the Senate Republican Policy Committee policy paper released
in June 2005. It argued that Congress should pass CAFTA … The Senate
Republican policy paper argued that CAFTA ‘will promote democratic
governance.’But there is nothing democratic about CAFTA’s many pages of
grants of vague authority to foreign tribunals on which foreign judges can
force us to change our domestic laws to be ‘no more burdensome than
necessary’on foreign trade.” CFR's Plan to Integrate the U.S., Mexico
and Canada, July 2005, www.Eagleforum.org
- June 9, 2005: CNN's Lou Dobbs, reporting on Dr. Robert Pastor's
congressional testimony as one of the six co-chairmen of the Council on
Foreign Relations (CFR) Independent Task Force on North America, began his
evening broadcast with this announcement: "Good evening, everybody.
Tonight, an astonishing proposal to expand our borders to incorporate Mexico
and Canada and simultaneously further diminish U.S. sovereignty. Have our
political elites gone mad?"
- July 2005: The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) passes
in the U.S. House of Representatives by a 217-215 vote.
- November 2005: Canadian Action Party leader Connie Fogal publishes
an article called "Summary and Part 1:The Metamorphosis and Sabotage of
Canada by Our Own Government- The North American Union." See Summary
and Part 1:The Metamorphosis and Sabotage of Canada by Our Own Government
The North American Union
- January 2006: Conservative Stephen Harper is elected Prime Minister
of Canada with a minority government.
- March 31, 2006: At the Summit of the Americas in Cancun, Canada
(under new Prime Minister Stephen Harper) along with the U.S. and Mexico
release the Leaders' Joint Statement. The statement presents six action
points to move toward a North American Union, aka a North American
Community. These action points include: 1) Establishment of a Trilateral
Regulatory Cooperative Framework 2) Establishment of the North American
Competitiveness Council (NACC) 3) Provision for North American Emergency
Management 4) Provision for Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza Management 5)
Development of North American Energy Security 6) Assure Smart, Secure North
American Borders. Read the full statement at: Leaders'
Joint Statement
- April 2006: A draft environmental impact statement on the proposed
first leg of the "NAFTA superhighway", the "Trans-Texas
Corridor" or TTC, is completed.
- June 2006: Tom Tancredo, R-Colorado. demands superstate accounting
from the Bush administration: “Responding to a Worldnetdaily.com report,
Tom Tancredo is demanding the Bush administration fully disclose the
activities of an office implementing a trilateral agreement with Mexico and
Canada that apparently could lead to a North American union, despite having
no authorization from Congress.” Tancredo Confronts 'Super-State' Effort,
June 2006, www.Worldnetdaily.com
- June 15, 2006: U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez convenes
the first meeting of the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC), the
advisory group organized by the Department of Commerce (DOC) under the
auspices of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) and announced by
the leaders of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico on March 31, 2006.
- July 2006: Public hearings on the proposed "NAFTA
superhighway" begin in the U.S.
- July 25, 2006: The article "Meet Robert Pastor, Father of the
North American Union" is published. See: Meet
Robert Pastor: Father of the North American Union
- August 21, 2006: An article titled North
American Union Threatens U.S. Sovereignty" is posted to
informationliberation.com.
- August 27, 2006: Patrick Wood (U.S.) publishes an article titled
"Toward a North American Union" for The August Review. See: Toward
a North American Union
- August 28, 2006: A North American United Nations? by Republican
Congressman Ron Paul (Texas) is published. See: A
North American United Nations?
- August 29, 2006: Patrick Buchanan (U.S.) criticizes a North
American union in his article "The NAFTA super highway." See: The
NAFTA super highway
- COMING IN 2007: Construction is set to begin on the "NAFTA
superhighway".
- COMING IN 2007: Another trilateral meeting, to be held in Canada.
The six actions towards creating a North American Union (NAU)aka a North
American Community as set out in the Cancun Leaders' Statement will have
been taken in part or in full. Regarding regulations, according to the
statement: "We affirm our commitment to strengthen regulatory
cooperation in [food safety] and other key sectors and to have our central
regulatory agencies complete a trilateral regulatory cooperation framework
by 2007."
Sources aside from articles provided within the timeline:
Vive le Canada.ca, FAQ, Sovereignty
vs Deep Integration
North American Forum on Integration, NAFTA
Timeline
North American Union/Testimony, Publications and Reports, Sourcewatch, a project
of the Center for Media and Democracy, North
American Union/Testimony, Publications and Reports
Free Market News Network Corp, N.
AM. UNION TIMELINE
Wikipedia, various entries, Wikipedia.org
Also, wherever possible links to the full text of various agreements have
been provided.
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