What can Canada learn from the Brexit Referendum if we ever leave NAFTA?

[White_Unifier]

The referendum question was:

'Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?'

The possible answers were:

'Remain a member of the European Union'

'Leave the European Union'


I think the biggest mistake the question-writer or writers made was to make the 'Leave-the-European-Union' alternative so ambiguous since one could interpret it to mean anyone of at least six things:

1. sign an agreement similar to Norway's.

2. Sign an agreement similar to Switzerland's.

3. Sign an agreement similar to Turkey's.

4. Sign an agreement similar to Canada's.

5. Return to the present WTO rules.

6. Renegotiate the WTO rules to allow the UK to adopt unilateral free trade.

The above are just the ones that come to my mind and each is very different from the other. As a result, a vote to leave the EU was a vote to take a leap into the dark with no idea what was to replace it. With the UK government having no clear idea of what the voters even intended to replace EU-membership with, how was it to negotiate a well-written deal with the EU in the short 2-year time frame that it had?

We can see now how the UK still hasn't progressed much and might walk away with no deal and still no clear idea of what it wants as an alternative.

If Canada should ever call a similar referendum, I would word it as follows:

Should Canada remain in NAFTA or adopt unilateral free trade?

Canada should remain in NAFTA.

Canada should adopt unilateral free trade.

Of course other possibilities exist too, but at least in the question above it would be clear not only whether or not Canadians wanted to remain in NAFTA but also what they would want to replace it with should they vote to leave it. In other words, they wouldn't be voting either for or against something (which leaves ambiguity as to what to replace it with), but rather for one of two things. Since they'd be voting for and not against something either way, it would therefore present Parliament with a way forward. If all Parliament knows is that Canadians want to leave NAFTA, it would tell it nothing about what we might want to replace it with. If we vote for something either way, then at least if we vote to leave NAFTA, we'd be giving Parliament a clear direction in which to move rather than just thrust it into the dark like the Brexit referendum did for the UK.

If ever Canada has a similar referendum, let's not repeat the UK's mistake and let's make sure we're voting for something either way and not just for or against something with no clear alternative.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Maybe y'all could sing an agreement.

 

[Hoid]

What Canada can learn is that you don't simply exit one agreement hoping another will come along.

Have a ****ing plan.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

If we ever leave NAFTA? Rhetorical question, no? It's disintegrating before our eyes.

 

[White_Unifier]

Maybe y'all could sing an agreement.

You spelt 'sign' wrong.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

You spelt 'sign' wrong.

Last edited by White_Unifier; Just now at 01:35 AM..

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

Here I thought this here was a situation where as folks talk about the subject. LOL It aint no spellin Bee, Yall.

 

[White_Unifier]

If we ever leave NAFTA? Rhetorical question, no? It's disintegrating before our eyes.

So we might want to start thinking about a well-written referendum question now rather than later. Once Trump declares NAFTA dead, we've got six months to decide whether we renegotiate a new NAFTA agreement or cut the cord and turn to plan B. But we'd better have a plan B.

Here I thought this here was a situation where as folks talk about the subject. LOL It aint no spellin Bee, Yall.

Inside joke between TB and me.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Here I thought this here was a situation where as folks talk about the subject. LOL It aint no spellin Bee, Yall.

There was a subject?

Sorry to put a hitch in yer git-along there, Sarge.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

So we might want to start thinking about a well-written referendum question now rather than later. Once Trump declares NAFTA dead, we've got six months to decide whether we renegotiate a new NAFTA agreement or cut the cord and turn to plan B. But we'd better have a plan B.



Inside joke between TB and me.

It would be prudent. But this government isn't made up of long term thinkers.

There was a subject?

Sorry to put a hitch in yer git-along there, Sarge.

LOL It's okay, my git-along there has been less and less over the years, while sense of humor just gets better.

 

[White_Unifier]

I just sent my MP an e-mail:

Concerned that the US President could potentially give as little as six months’ notice to withdraw from NAFTA, I would like to propose a referendum question for the next federal election as follows:

Should Canada remain a member of NAFTA or should it adopt unilateral free trade?

1. Canada should remain a member of NAFTA.
2. Canada should adopt unilateral free trade.

I believe that the UK’s biggest mistake in the Brexit referendum was presenting a for-or-against referendum. One problem with a for-or-against referendum is that it presents no alternative to the ‘for’ and so no clear direction to the government should the people vote against. To avoid repeating the UK’s mistake, I would like to propose that Canada ensure that it present a referendum with two clear alternatives. That way, rather than vote for or against something with no clear alternative, Canadians could vote for one of two alternatives and so provide the government with some direction either way.


I don't necessarily expect that the government would adopt the same wording a referendum presented at the same time as the next federal election, but I would hope that it would at least apply the principle of ensuring that we would be voting not for or against something but rather for two distinct alternatives whatever they may be so as to avoid falling into the Brexit trap.