| Canada Must Not Trade Its Sovereignty for an Ill-Defined EU “Association” PPC Statement – Michael Bator, People’s Party of Canada Candidate for BurlingtonMichael BatorOct 31 READ IN APP PPC Statement – Michael Bator, People’s Party of Canada Candidate for Canadians are right to be alarmed by the recent EU-Canada summit in Montreal and the push for an “ever-closer association” or so-called “associate membership.” As Greg Scott has correctly pointed out, official statements and much of the political discussion carefully avoid the very policies that would come with deeper alignment: digital ID, digital integration and governance, Net Zero 2050, Agenda 2030, the Paris Agreement, Horizon Europe, and related frameworks like “Be Ready. They represent the concrete tools of greater centralization, surveillance, economic control, and the subordination of Canadian decision-making to external priorities. Prime Minister Carney has been clear about wanting the “deepest possible partnership short of accession.” That path leads to Canada absorbing more EU-style digital regulation, climate targets that ignore energy realities and affordability, and governance models that prioritize international agendas over the interests of Canadian workers, families, and communities.What is equally concerning is the response—or lack of one—from the Conservative Party. While the CPC may claim opposition in principle, it has largely failed to highlight or confront these specific policy imports. Pretending the issue is merely “theatre” or nomenclature while remaining silent on digital ID schemes, net-zero timelines, Agenda 2030 alignment, and digital governance leaves Canadians without a genuine alternative. This is the pattern of controlled opposition: loud on some issues, quiet on the ones that actually shift power away from Canadian citizens and Parliament. The People’s Party of Canada rejects this trajectory. We stand for Canadian sovereignty, not incremental integration into external regulatory frameworks. We oppose digital ID and digital control systems that threaten privacy and freedom. We reject Net Zero 2050 mandates and Paris Agreement targets that drive up costs for energy, housing, and everyday life without meaningful benefit to Canadians. We oppose Agenda 2030-style global governance that subordinates national priorities to international bureaucracies. And we will not support participation in programs that further entangle Canada in EU policy architecture.Closer economic ties and practical cooperation can be beneficial when they serve Canadian interests—without surrendering control over our laws, energy policy, data, or democratic accountability. The current approach does the opposite: it advances integration first and asks Canadians to accept the consequences later.Burlington and Canada deserve representatives who will say clearly what is at stake, not ones who downplay the risks or hope voters won’t notice. The PPC will continue to fight for a Canada that remains independent, prosperous, and governed by its own people—not by imported agendas. Michael Bator People’s Party of Canada Candidate for Burlington |