Foreign Affairs Committee members warned of legal action

National and Labour members of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade select committee were served with a Memorandum of Injustice at TPPA hearings today.

At the conclusion of his submission on the TPPA, Democrats for Social Credit deputy leader Chris Leitch asked members “if, as a result of you proceeding with the TPPA, and the grave concerns being covered in this submission and many others, like losing control of our nancial system, our health, environment, and most important, control over the quality and safety of our food supply eventuate, how will you or your descendants defend legal cases brought against you in the future, in a yet to be constituted forum, for the detriment inflicted upon New Zealand and both its current and future citizens?”

He then distributed the memorandum to members.

The memorandum sets out the grounds for a class action against the committee members in the event that they recommend ratification of the TPPA, and its subsequent implementation causes significant detriment to New Zealand or its citizens.

The memorandum states that the majority of Kiwis are opposed to the TPPA but have no mechanism by which to stop its ratification.

“There is no legal or constitutional process either by binding referendum or otherwise by which that majority can stop the ratification of the agreement and we believe that there may be many detrimental outcomes for New Zealand and its people that follow said ratification” Mr Leitch told the committee.

Mr Leitch said the loss of New Zealand's sovereignty that would eventuate if the TPPA proceeded was unnecessary when there were other options with the potential to deliver an economic benefit to the country of up to $6 billion per year immediately, in comparison with the $2.7 billion per year by 2030 with the TPPA.

ENDS

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