“The parliamentary select committee should call for a review of the government’s treaty-making powers before rushing in
to ratify the TPPA,” says Oliver Hailes, spokesperson for It’s Our Future, in anticipation of next week’s hearings on
the controversial economic treaty. “We need modern forms of accountability before we commit to these mega agreements.”
This morning It’s Our Future delivered a written submission to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee in
support of its TPPA-11: Don’t Do It! petition, which was signed by thousands and delivered to Green MP Golriz Ghahraman outside Parliament on the day the
revived treaty was signed in Chile.
“The TPPA exposes serious problems with New Zealand’s treaty-making powers, which remain dominated by MFAT in the
interests of exporters, foreign investors and multinational corporations while Parliament and the public are kept in the
dark.”
“Since the Prime Minister’s tour of Europe, there have been remarks that the TPPA could serve as a template for treaties
with the EU and Commonwealth nations. Trump continues to hint that the US will be looking to join the TPPA in the near
future, and there have been expressions of interest from Thailand, South Korea and the UK."
"We have to set things right before ratification.”
The petition demands democratic overhaul of the process for negotiating, signing and ratifying international treaties
dealing with trade, investment and economic integration.
The Government plans to launch its Trade for All Agenda in the coming weeks, which will involve a public conversation
about the role of trade in New Zealand.
But Mr Hailes says this initiative would be wholly undercut if the TPPA is ratified without a thorough review of the
treaty-making process. This may require an update of the Law Commission's report into this issue, which is now 20 years
out of date, and ultimately an Act of Parliament.