Thread

Canada welcomes EU proposal to become 'associate member'

284 points · 354 comments · witweb

delichon · 1789653589 · focus · HN ↗
Reaction from the Canadian opposition leader:
```
  The Prime Minister can’t seem to get his story straight about the “associate membership,” “unique alliance,” or whatever else he is negotiating with the EU.

  Conservatives are clear: we support the decades-old free trade &amp; NATO defence alliance with Europe.

  But no EU taxes, no EU laws, and no EU open-border immigration policies should be imposed on Canadians.

  Canada must be independent and sovereign. Period.
```
<a href="https://x.com/PierrePoilievre/status/2100274078066036766" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/PierrePoilievre/status/2100274078066036766
1. AlexandrB · 1789654192 · focus · HN ↗
  He's not wrong. I have a suspicion this EU idea is a way to backdoor immigration increases - something the Trudeau government was very keen on but was scaled back by Carney. Largely because immigration has become a hot-button issue in Canada and was partly responsible for Polilievre's popularity last election. Joining a treaty where another governing body would set the criteria for immigration and Canada just has to accept it due to freedom of movement within the EU is one way to route around the whole thing politically and make it much harder to change in the future.
  If this is the motivation, it's a grossly undemocratic move.
  I don't get how folks who hyperventilate about Trump being a threat to democracy can look at stuff like this and cheer.
  1. nick_ · 1789659530 · focus · HN ↗
    > I don't get how folks who hyperventilate about Trump being a threat to democracy can look at stuff like this and cheer.
    It really stretches my imagination to the limit to see how your suspicion carries this move all the way to being comparable to what Trump has been doing.

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