15 MARCH 2016

Key Runs From His Government’s Claims on TPPA Gains

The Prime Minister is backing off his government’s claims that the TPPA will be worth $5 billion to New Zealand, says New Zealand First.

“Mr Key was quick to disown statements in Parliament today despite his Ministers, Mr Brownlee, and Mr Groser, who was the Trade Minister, putting that grandiose claim out to the New Zealand public,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“At the same time Mr Key is trying to claim NZ did a good job of the TPPA negotiations. This is confirmed, he says, because Republican front runner Donald Trump believes the US did a bad job of negotiations.

“The sad fact is that Mr Key knows the TPPA made little gain for our big exporter - dairy. Instead of New Zealand making strides and negotiating away the protectionism of farmers in partner countries, few gains were made. The result is that Kiwi farmers must go it alone against farmers in Canada, US, Mexico and Japan who are paid subsidies amounting to $110 billion. With a barrier like this clearly it was not a good outcome.

“Mr Key continues to claim the TPPA will bring financial relief for hard hit dairy farmers, however it took more than four years to get congressional approval for US trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and Korea. So, any tiny gains from the TPPA will bring no support at all to New Zealand farmers now.”

ENDS

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