At a meeting in Montebello, Que. in August, U.S. President George Bush, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Prime Minister Stephen Harper had discussions related to an initiative called the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP).
According to the website www.spp.gov, the partnership is the continuing discussion of an initiative that began during meetings between Canadian, Mexican and American leaders in Waco Texas in March 2005. While it is understandable that the leaders of these three countries would have talks about mutual security concerns, the other half of the initiative has pretty much flown under the radar. That is the Prosperity Partnership of North America.
This part of the SPP seems to cover some important topics such as joint efforts on environmental issues and food supply concerns. On further review it also covers issues that may lead to a North American Union, similar to the European Union, introducing measures like a common currency similar to the euro.
It is worth noting that the leaders of these three nations and the SPP are to receive a report from a group called The Center for Strategic and International Studies in September. This group, ironically called CSIS, has some pretty notable trustees and counsellors. They include William Shreyer of Merrill Lynch, Reginald Brack, former CEO of Time Inc., Neville Isdell, CEO of Coca-Cola, Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Oil, Henry Kissinger and many other well respected people. You can check them out on the CSIS web site, www.csis.org
I will leave the concerns and debate related to a potential North American Union to my political friends.
What comes to mind for me is, if there is a North American Union, will that mean that a North American Union Real Estate Association is coming?
I believe that in regard to real estate business practices, there is already a productive dialogue between organized real estate in Canada and the United States. I am not aware of real estate business practices in Mexico but I would imagine that a good healthy dialogue exists there as well.
But what of political issues that have been championed by organized real estate in Canada? Issues such as private property rights? The Canadian Real Estate Association has done a tremendous job of lobbying the government to enshrine property rights into our constitution. I am certain that they would carry on this battle in a North American Union Real Estate Association or NAUREA.
Would we have a uniformity of rights for property ownership? Will there be a uniformity of business practices in all three countries? Could we see a role for a continent-wide multiple listing system?
The National Association of Realtors in the United States has more than one million members. CREA membership is closing in on 100,000. These are powerful organizations in both countries. Can you imagine the power of merging these two organizations with the national organization of Mexico? Collectively these groups would be very powerful.
The NAUREA is coming. The only question is when.
Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email [email protected]
