Free trade just costs too much
“The new trade deal with China may promise a bonanza for a few exporters, but will be paid for by the average Kiwi
worker,” says Katherine Ransom , Vice Pre sid ent of Democrats for social credit ( DSC ).
“The trade deal is trumpeted in the media as a coup for the government, historical and so on, but there is a thunderous
silence on what it will mean to the average person. ‘Free trade’ in the past has meant closure of factories, massive
unemployment and an ongoing erosion in the spending power of anyone left working.
“Quite apart from human rights issues, or the overwhelming difference in size between our two countries that makes any
kind of deal problematical at best, the impact on the grass roots economy of New Zealand will be huge, and almost
entirely negative,” Ms. Ransom maintains.
“Even the Foreign Minister’s surreal campaign against the Chinadeal fails to pinpoint the true problem. To claim ‘we
could have done better’ as a criticism of the deal does not address the disadvantages looming for already struggling
Kiwi families.
“Wages have not risen to meet prices over the last two decades, and we can’t feed our children on DVDplayers, no matter
how cheap they are,” Ms. Ransom says. “With the sharp rise in staple foods, petrol going up and other drains on workers’
incomes, how is this trade deal going to help?
“Can the government guarantee that the huge profits some businesses expect will mean any real advantage to the rest of
us? Or will we just see more shops filled with more Chinese goods, and more New Zealandfactories closing as history
repeats itself?
“Free trade, as we have learned from painful experience, just costs too much.”
ENDS