Fletcher Tabuteau MP
Spokesperson for Trade
14 OCTOBER 2015

Waiting for TPPA Details, But Who is Writing the Text?

New Zealand First touched a raw nerve of the government today over the TPPA and so-called regional benefits.

“While the government continues its public relations offensive, plucking figures out of the air, the Ministers are unable to respond in substance to questions on trade benefits,” says Trade Spokesperson Fletcher Tabuteau.

“The reality is they did not secure big rewards for dairy, our major exporter, when the industry is in the doldrums, and tariff-free entry for other exports is years away.

“Trade Minister Tim Groser says we should wait till officials of the 12 TPPA countries get the text into its final shape, but who is writing this text?

“The public hasn’t been permitted to see any details but 480, or 85 per cent, of the US authors, were senior corporate executives or representatives from industry lobby groups.

“This Minister of Trade and the Prime Minister have been taken for a ride by big corporates, those corporates being the actual authors of this supposed trade deal.

“I think the Prime Minister wanted to be taken along for this ride, he was always on that bus anyway,” says Mr Tabuteau.

ENDS

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