Balsillie fears Trans-Pacific trade deal could cost billions

The former head of Research in Motion (now Blackberry) is warning that the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal could be the worst public policy decision in Canadian history.

Jim Balsillie says provisions tucked into the deal could cost Canada hundreds of billions of dollars.

Balsillie says he has looked at the treaty’s final text and found the deal contains “troubling” rules on intellectual property.

He says those rules could make Canada a “permanent underclass” in the economy of selling ideas because Canadian innovators would have to play by rules set by the United States.

The deal was signed by former prime minister Stephen Harper during the election campaign, but it must still be ratified by the 12 Pacific rim countries involved.

The new Liberal government is still evaluating the deal and asking for public feedback as it decides how to proceed.