MOTION ON NOTICE

At the Council meeting of February 19, 2002, Councillor Bass submitted the following Notice of Motion, which was recognized by the Chair.

3. Threatened Impact of the Agreement on Internal Trade on Municipal Governments (File: 6001)

WHEREAS, in a July 18, 2001 open provincial government cabinet meeting, Premier Campbell announced his intention to extend the AIT coverage to procurement by BC local governments;

AND WHEREAS, the procurement provisions of the AIT take away the powers of municipal governments to make decisions locally;

AND WHEREAS, BC municipalities previously declined to be covered by the AIT for two principle reasons:

(a) there are no demonstrable benefits for municipalities to have their purchasing decisions subjected to AIT rules; and

(b) there are unknown and unknowable risks from agreeing to be bound by these rules, as they will be interpreted by unelected, trade-dispute panels focussed narrowly on expansion of trade;

AND WHEREAS, AIT coverage of local government procurement prepares the way for imposition of binding international trade disciplines at the expense of local government authority over procurement;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the City of Vancouver requests the provincial government to reconsider is intention to require that municipal governments comply with the procurement provisions of the Agreement on Internal Trade.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver