Media Release – Wednesday 17 August
Green Party trade policy – Trade Network not impressed
The Green Party’s trade policy does not impress the Trade Liberalisation Network.
“Calling it a “trade policy” doesn’t stack. If it’s implemented trade will stall and slide backwards,” said TLN
Executive Director, Suse Reynolds.
“The Greens are advocating industry protection and import substitution. Both these policies have been tried in the past
and have failed to deliver sustainable, internationally competitive economic growth.
“Abandoning trade agreements with countries whose human rights and environment policies we disagree with does not make
sense either.
“It destroys valuable opportunities to talk frankly with those governments about our concerns for the environment and
human rights, and in refusing to trade with these countries we hurt ordinary people and simply exacerbate the poverty,
which is actually the route cause of environmental and labour abuses,” said Reynolds.
ENDS