Security Prosperity Partnership Documentary on DVD

Paul Manly has released a feature length documentary video entitled 'You, Me and the SPP: Trading Democracy for Corporate Rule'. The issue examined in the documentary is the Security Prosperity Partnership. Just what is the "Security Prosperity Partnership"? That all depends on who you ask.

The Canadian government says "The Security Prosperity Partnership is neither an agreement nor a treaty but a dialogue." Proponents of the SPP claim that it is necessary to keep goods flowing across borders in the post 9/11 world.

Opponents of this secretive 'dialogue' claim that it is undemocratic and a direct threat to the sovereignty of the three countries involved - Canada, the United States and Mexico because it bypasses their parliamentary systems and places control of regulatory integration in the hands of large corporations.

'You, Me and the SPP' features interviews with opponents of the SPP including economists, lawyers, union leaders and politicians. Manly also tried to get interviews with proponents of the SPP, including government ministers and researchers for the Fraser Institute, over an eighteen-month period but nobody who supported the SPP wanted to discuss this process on camera.

Some of the comments heard in the film include "...what the SPP really represents is a parallel government, so that the important decisions are either made outside of parliament...democracy is slowly being gutted" - Murray Dobbin, Canadian author, journalist.

"It disturbs us that democracy is actually being stolen away from us under this guise of this corporate, competitive global agenda" - Ken Georgetti, President, the Canadian Labour Congress.

"...the ultimate goal, quite obviously, is to create such tight integration that effectively we only have one North American political, security, military and economic place - that there really are no differentials between this country and the country next door" - Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair, Global Politics and International Law, UBC.

The DVD of 'You, Me and the SPP' can be purchased for $25 (plus taxes, shipping and handling) direct from the film's producer. In addition to an order form, The Manley Media Web site also includes a trailer of the film for free preview over the Internet.