“Not content with having destroyed tens of thousands of workers jobs through two decades of tariff reduction, the
Government endorsed at APEC a $16 million “communications strategy” which, if successful, could see manufacturing die in
this country and tens of thousands more workers thrown on the scrap heap,” said Trade Union Federation President, Maxine
Gay.
Maxine Gay was commenting on the adoption of a Consultus Report by the APEC Ministerial Meeting prior to the Leaders
Meeting. The Report is entitled “Making trade and investment liberalisation relevant.”
“This report is an outrage and an obscenity,” said Maxine Gay. “How any government could even consider adopting such a
strategy is beyond comprehension. This action of the Government completely exposes how extreme its and the APEC free
trade and investment agenda is.
“The most repugnant part of the “communications strategy” is the launching of a “Buy Global” campaign that can only see
the destruction of more jobs and New Zealand’s manufacturing base.
It is also scandalous that a “Buy Global” campaign is being promoted at the same time that New Zealand is facing a
staggering $1,710 million merchandise trade deficit (year to June 1999), up from a deficit of $209 million the year
before and a $2,400 million surplus in 1992.
“Any Government that signs up to such a scandal must be removed from office, thank goodness the days of this extremist
National Minority Government are numbered,” said Maxine Gay. “The TUF is approaching Alliance, Greens and Labour to
ensure that any incoming Government of these parties immediately scraps this obnoxious proposal.”
ENDS