I heard a politician recently describe himself as supporting "free enterprise." This got me thinking.
Actually, the way our economy is being run, we are making ourselves less free. As Ecojustice and Stand.earth have pointed out, recently approved LNG projects in the mouth of the once thriving Fraser River will lock in about one million tonnes of GHG emissions per year within BC for decades to come.
We are also locked into massive government subsidies for many large corporations, many of them based in foreign countries, some with terrible human rights policies.
Our hands are tied in another way, too, through investment protection agreements. Perhaps the most notorious is the FIPA deal with China, signed by the Harper government in 2014.
Under the treaty, which is binding for at least 31 years, Chinese companies will be able to sue the Canadian government outside of our legal system if decisions are made that negatively impact profitability.
Let's work toward true freedom. The 2024 book Solidarity can guide our efforts. Maybe my mother, too! She reflected that when we are truly committed to something is when we are free. It sounds paradoxical, but actually, it makes sense.
When I commit myself to protecting what I love, I'm freed up to live according to my values, instead of bowing to a dangerous status quo.
Jan Slakov is a qathet Regional District resident.
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