(Fort Henry, Kingston, Thursday, 8 December 2005) - Paul Martin should not have signed an agreement that commits Canada to a process of deep continental integration with the United States and Mexico without having first obtained an electoral mandate from the Canadian people to do so, said Green Party of Canada leader Jim Harris today in Kingston.

In June of this year, Canada, the U.S., and Mexico announced that they had agreed on a framework to implement a "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America". Sometimes referred to as "NAFTA on steroids", the new agreement proposes to greatly increase the economic and security integration of North America.

The tri-lateral agreement will have profound and long-lasting political and social consequences for Canada. Of concern are disturbing implications to future Canadian control of its energy and water resources - as well as the very real possibility that Canadian security policy will be harmonized with the harsher terms of the U.S. Homeland Security Act.

The Green Party is calling for an immediate halt to the "deep integration" process until a Royal Commission completes a full public review of the implications and a national referendum on the subject has been conducted.

"Just as Fort Henry once successfully deterred U.S. ambitions in this area, we need to elect Green Party members to Parliament to once again defend Canadian sovereignty," added Foreign Affairs Critic and local Green candidate Eric Walton.

The Green Party supports an "Honest Neighbour" relationship with America, providing the critical perspective and honest feedback of a friend, even if those opinions are not always appreciated by the U.S. administration.