To the Editor:

Thanks very much for the excellent recent column by Greg Pyrcz, whose insightful analysis of the present political situation in Canada I found to be very informative and, in my opinion, 'right-on'.

I couldn't agree with him more that the efforts of 'Steve' Harper to hornswoggle Canadians into giving him the majority for which he yearns, by 'dress(ing) up as a New

Democrat-leaning-Liberal' at the same time as he’s on the wrong side of issues about which two-thirds of Canadians deeply care, such as health care; homelessness; environmental protection; the Atlantic Accord; public daycare; militarism; women's and First Nations issues; and others is disingenuous, to say the least.

There’s one issue I wish Dr. Pyrcz had included in the list of matters about which Steve is on the wrong side. Perhaps it was omitted because Dr. Pyrcz, like at least two-thirds of Canadians, is unaware of it, due to the fact that it has been virtually blacked out, both in the mainstream media and among our elected representatives in Parliament.

The issue is the looming Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), a nefarious plan being hatched and planned in secret and below the radar by members of the corporate elite and government officials. Under this plan, which calls for economic and security integration among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, standards for labour rights, environmental protection and product safety would be 'harmonized' (no doubt at the level of the lowest common denominator) in order to remove 'trade irritants', and a security perimeter enclosing all three countries would inevitably remove Canada's ability to manage its own affairs, in areas such as immigration and the military.

Also, U.S.-based corporations would gain unrestricted access to natural resources such as Canada's fresh water and Mexico's oil (they already have ownership of more than half of ours, through NAFTA).

Another secret meeting of 'the Three Amigos' (Harper, Bush and Mexico's Calderon) will take place in Montebello, Quebec, Aug. 20-22. Civil society organizations such as the Council of Canadians have not only been excluded from the event, but have been refused permission to hold a concurrent gathering including speakers and panels, in a community six kilometers from Montebello, on the orders of the RCMP and the U.S. army!

A 25-kilometer 'security perimeter' around Montebello is also planned. Canadians need to be made aware of this threat to our national sovereignty and independence. Please, Dr. Pyrcz, won't you write a column drawing attention to this urgent matter?

For further information, please go to www.canadians.org and/or thetyee.ca

Michaele Kustudic

Wolfville