Trudeau Doubles Down on Trade Negotiations with Brazil’s Bolsonaro While the Amazon Burns

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh released the following statement in response to Justin Trudeau’s refusal to stop negotiating a new free trade deal with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and the Mercosur group of nations. Last week, Singh called on Trudeau to stop negotiations to pressure Bolsonaro to change course to save the Amazon rainforest:

“The Amazon rainforest is burning, and that’s not a crisis only for Brazil, it’s a crisis for humankind and for our planet. Once again, Justin Trudeau is putting the interest of rich corporations ahead of the fight against climate change by continuing free trade negotiations with President Bolsonaro.

Last week, I called on Justin Trudeau to stop trade negotiations with President Bolsonaro in order to put real pressure on Brazil’s leadership to stop deforestation and start accepting help to fight these devastating fires. Trudeau has refused. Even as France and Ireland say they’ll block an EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement if Brazil doesn’t honour its environmental responsibilities, Trudeau keeps negotiating with Bolsonaro as if the earth isn’t burning up around them.

This is another disturbing example of Justin Trudeau saying and tweeting pretty things in public, when behind closed doors he's doing business with the person responsible for the deforestation and devastation of the lungs of the planet.

Experts have been clear: economic sanctions are the best tool we have to put pressure on President Bolsonaro, especially after he refused the help offered by the G7 members.

Trudeau needs to make his trade policy match his words. Canada shouldn’t be doing business with Bolsonaro while the Amazon burns, no matter how much the rich could profit.”