Re: EU Referendum
 

I would consider NAFTA as a trade agreement between the 3 countries due to the title. Not all citizens of those 3 countries have the ability to work or move unlike the EU.
Canada has several other agreements with countries such as Israel (CIAT), Jordan (JT), New Zealand (NZT) plus they want to sign the TPP and CET.
My basic understanding is that a citizen of the EU has the following

Free Movement - EU nationals
Free movement of workers is a fundamental principle of the Treaty enshrined in Article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and developed by EU secondary legislation and the Case law of the Court of Justice. EU citizens are entitled to:
look for a job in another EU country
work there without needing a work permit
reside there for that purpose
stay there even after employment has finished
enjoy equal treatment with nationals in access to employment, working conditions and all other social and tax advantages

Under the Trade Agreements mentioned above this is totally different to the EU one.

Re: EU Referendum
 

There is no "answer"...there is only a direction. We choose the direction which we think best suits the country (and/or ourselves).

Re: EU Referendum
 

In that case I choose South during the winter months :lol: Obviously Zayne Malik chose another direction after leaving One Direction (1D).

Re: EU Referendum
 

If there was freedom of movement within NAFTA at least you'd be able to get decent Mexican food in Canada. Not that there'd be many customers since almost all Canadians would be living in the US.

Re: EU Referendum
 

Until President Trump's inauguration at least.

Re: EU Referendum
 

Surprising. If leave do get ahead in the polls generally it will be interesting to see if there is a vow type initiative from the EU elite or if the scare campaign is heightened, or if there is just indifference?

UK voters leaning towards Brexit, Guardian poll reveals | Politics | The Guardian

Re: EU Referendum
 

Still well within the margin of error. A similar thing happened towards the end of the Scottish independence referendum campaigns but the status quo prevailed. As the last general election showed who says what in a poll doesn't matter if they don't bother to vote.

Re: EU Referendum
 

I just watched a documentary about Harold Evans and his press campaign for the thalidomide children on netflix. Apparently it was only because of the ECHR that the Sunday Times was allowed to publish the facts without the editors facing jail.

Anyway, I don't understand why would anyone vote to lose this additional check/balance on the actions of the state? It was the same with septics and how they don't support against universal health care - baffling really.

Re: EU Referendum
 

You're biased because you work for CBSA and you'd be out of a job if Canada and the US had a relationship like the EU. :p

How anyone who lives here and is bothering to vote in this stupid referendum can vote for the UK to leave is beyond my comprehension.

Look at all the BS we have to put up with in Canada at the border. Ever try buying a car in the US? Order something from abroad and it sits at CBSA waiting for duty and GST to be assessed and then you get a bill for customs clearance from the shipper.

Why the hell would you vote for that to come back? Am I the only person who remembers what that was like?

I used to import stuff from Switzerland and then I had to go to Heathrow to get it.

Go to the shipper, stand in line to get the air waybill. Go to the Customs House, wait in a dark room for ages to get the duty and VAT assessed. Stand in line for 20 minutes for the till to pay it. Take the clearance back to the shipper, stand in line to give them the clearance. Go to their warehouse, stand there waiting while they find the goods. Used to take approx. 4 hours total.

As soon as Switzerland got their agreements with the EU, all of that went away. You're dreaming if you think the UK is suddenly going to make an agreement with say, Switzerland immediately after they leave the EU, it will take years.

That is what people put up with in Canada. It's crazy.

And Canada has now negotiated a trade agreement with the EU, so when it comes into force, it will become much easier to have stuff shipped here from the UK, provided they don't leave the EU.

Re: EU Referendum
 

The ECHR has nothing to do with the EU. It's a prerequisite of membership but the UK was in the ECHR long before joining the EEC. Turkey has signed up to the ECHR for example.

Re: EU Referendum
 

The undecided vote usually goes for the status quo, but it's very hard to predict if they'll show up, which is why the outcome of referenda are hard to predict if they're remotely close.

Also with this thing you've got a substantial expat vote which is hard to capture in polls. My guess is the expat vote especially in the EU would be strongly for "remain".

Re: EU Referendum
 

Good posts Steve. Hard to say which way it will go. Such important decisions should not be left up to the general public, a vast portion of whom have no idea about how to weigh up complex issues.

Re: EU Referendum
 

That's not what the polls that I've seen on BE are saying.

Re: EU Referendum
 

So are you saying there should not be a vote on the referendum? What is defined as an important decision? When the public vote in an election isn't that an important decision?
Why is the UK having a vote on this?
Basically there are 3 camps EXIT, REMAIN & HAVEN'T GOT A ----ING CLUE.
I think its fair to say that both sides are coming out with some pretty unbelievable comments and suggestions as to what will happen if an Exit or Remain vote wins.
I really don't care which way the vote goes as it won't affect me on a grand scale unless there is something hidden in the vote that would strip me of my UK citizenship and I could never return.

If the vote means that much to expats and you care about the UK that much then why are you living in Canada. Surely this is a good enough reason to say I care about the UK so much and this vote is so important Im returning to the UK to live.

Re: EU Referendum
 

That's been answered several times now.

If you like Walkers crisps, monster munch, 'British' Cadburys, proper Heinz beans etc etc so much why not move back to the UK where you can get them easily and without paying premium prices? ;)

Does this logic apply to language too? If I want to say pavement instead of sidewalk should I go back? :rofl: