Media release: Its Our Future
Friday October 4, 2013
Wake-up call to National as 5000 sign TPPA petition in 3 days
In just over three days, more than 5000 New Zealanders have signed the petition to release the draft text of the
Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
The petition was launched on Tuesday as the TPPA trade ministers prepared to meet in Bali this week to discuss political
trade-offs in the hope of concluding the deal.
A video by well known New Zealand musicians, actors and commentators has been released to promote the petition under the
banner "It's not democracy – and it's not right!".
‘This response is a wake up call for the government’, said said Robert Reid, FIRST Union General Secretary, a sponsor of
the petition.
‘Prime Minister Key and trade minister Groser seem to think the secrecy of the TPPA is a non-issue and if they keep
saying “trust us” people will just say “OK”. ‘
Robert Reid warned ‘as these negotiations roll towards an election year, the TPPA looks set to become a political issue.
All political parties should take note’.
Musician Moana Maniapoto, who contributed to the video, sent a congratulations message to the website while performing
in South Korea:
‘New Zealand prides itself on being transparent and democratic, yet New Zealanders are being cut out of the entire
negotiations process by our representatives who will only tell us the details of the agreement AFTER it is signed.’
‘It is our right to see what is being negotiated in our name, and in the name of our children. 5000 strong and still
counting.'
The petition, at www.itsnotright.org.nz, remains open for six weeks.
Ends.