Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
20 June 2012

National Told to Put New Zealanders First

New Zealand First has previously repelled efforts to undermine our country’s sovereignty and is calling on the Government to follow its example during Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

When Rt Hon Winston Peters was Treasurer in 1998, both he and New Zealand First successfully battled against the proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment.

“It quite simply had to be opposed because it would have sold our sovereignty to foreign corporations.

“But today it appears as if National has moved further towards signing the TPP agreement that gives foreign corporations the right to take legal action in their own country against any policy of the New Zealand Government.”

Mr Peters says that will lead to some highly undesirable outcomes.

“Successive New Zealand governments will end up fighting incredibly expensive lawsuits against litigious US corporations, or laws will be doctored to favour foreign investors.

“National must not be allowed to lead New Zealand down the road to becoming the 51st state of America,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

© Scoop Media