3 December 2012

NZ must lift restrictions on access to TPP talks

The New Zealand Government needs to lift restrictions on access to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations immediately, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

More than twenty international experts in public health, intellectual property, investment, labour, consumer rights and other issues have been denied access to the entire Sky City Convention Centre for all 10 days except for the stakeholder day on Friday.

“The current restrictions put in place by the New Zealand Government confirm suspicions that the TPP negotiations are inherently anti-democratic,” said Dr Norman.

“These negotiations are being carried out by unelected officials yet the decisions they are making have the ability to affect the way current and future governments can make laws.

“The TPP will open up New Zealand governments, now and in the future, to litigation through the inclusion of investor state disputes clauses.

“These clauses mean New Zealand can be sued in international tribunals for making public policy decisions that may affect multi-national corporations from other countries in the TPP talks.

“The only people that win in these disputes are trade lawyers,” said Dr Norman.

“A report released last week titled ‘Profits from Injustice’ shows the dangers of these clauses to both a country’s ability to make law and the financial penalties countries face fighting legal challenges.”

Link to the profits from Injustice report:
http://corporateeurope.org/publications/profiting-from-injustice

ENDS

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