7 February 2014

The TPPA – Corporate Bullies exert control and dominance

A group of concerned citizens in Wellington will be staging a street theatre tomorrow, February 8 at the bucket fountain, Cuba Street at 1pm as part of the Nationwide Day of Action Against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. This day will be leading up to the large action in April/May when the heads of government are here to progress TPPA negotiations.

The theatre piece will involve John Key, Uncle Sam, Monty Burns and two `Corporate Bullies’ dismantling a wall of boxes representing fundamental blocks of our democratic society headed with all that is under threat by the TPPA: Internet freedoms, Small businesses, Affordable medicines, NZ Sovereignty, GMO Labelling and Food Sovereignty, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Workers Rights; Human Rights; Domestic Governance and Autonomy; Financial Regulation etc..

“This Agreement, is being deliberately negotiated in secret as it is so hideous that if revealed the public would be outraged and would overwhelmingly oppose it,” Ariana Paretutanganui-Tamati, spokesperson for the Wellington group says.

“The TPPA gives special rights and privileges to corporations and effectively elevates them to a nation state status by giving them the ability to over-ride our domestic law. It is an unfettered license for trans- national corporations to come into NZ to enforce their will. If New Zealand is signed up to TPPA we stand to loose affordable medicines, environmental protection, financial regulation, internet freedom, workers rights, GMO labelling, local businesses, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and much more.

Further through the State Investor Disputes Settlement Clause these corporations can bully us out of potentially billions of dollars by suing us for loss of profits and potential earnings in secret overseas `kangaroo’ courts’ if we make decisions they don’t like.

“The TPPA isn’t about trade. It’s about power, about democracy, and about sovereignty. Only 4 of the 29 chapters relate to trade. Something so crucial should have Parliamentary oversight and we as citizens should have the final say as to whether or not we want to be NZ to be a part of the TPPA.

“The sad truth is that our elected representatives, and we as citizens, are impotent to affect a process that the Cabinet effectively controls from start to finish. Those who claim it is not, from the Prime Minister down, are misleading the public deliberately or otherwise.”, Professor Jane Kelsey.

We, as well as thousands across Aotearoa are demanding John Key and Cabinet to cease negotiations. We simply don’t think any small group of individuals should hold the power to sign us up to an agreement that will seriously threaten our freedoms and rights, our domestic governance and autonomy and our ability to determine our own future. To do so would be a treacherous act – rendering this agreement as an assault by John Key and his Cabinet on our democracy and sovereignty” says Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati.

We know that John Key will arrogantly dismiss these protests however we are building up to a large Nationwide protest when the heads of government will be here in Aotearoa/NZ to progress the next and possibly the last stage of the TPPA negotiations. We will make sure that our voices will not be dismissed and that all in NZ will know the seriousness of this Agreement”. We encourage all to sign up to our facebook page – New Zealand Rally Against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement to be notified of future related events and to visit www.itsourfuture.org.nz” says Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati.

For more information on the TPPA go to: www.itsourfuture.org.nz.

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1436397496575159/

ENDS

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