10 MARCH 2016

TPPA Silver Bullet ‘a Myth’ – NZ First

The TPPA is not going to be the silver bullet that will drag New Zealand out of a dairy disaster as the prime minister keeps stating, New Zealand First says.

“Whenever the Fonterra farmgate price drops to another depressing level the prime minister and his government make much noise about the wonders that will come with the TPPA, which are entirely mythical,’’ New Zealand First Primary Industries Spokesperson Richard Prosser says.

“Japanese, American and Canadian governments heavily subsidise their dairy farmers – Japan with $45 billion; Canada with $7.5 billion,

“Farmers getting these subsidies are not going to welcome our primary exports with open arms.

“Also, the TPPA’s final approval is uncertain if not unlikely and hinges on what happens after the American presidential election.

“Finance Minister Bill English said this week he had no reason to believe there was going to be widespread farm foreclosures,

“Yet the day before the prime minister was reported saying ‘inevitably you'll probably see some farms being sold.’

“The National Government is failing New Zealand dairy farmers.

“If they gave a damn about rural communities, they would support New Zealand First’s Receiverships (Agricultural Debt Mediation) Amendment Bill which provides support through bank mediation to the farmers who so desperately need it

“The government should also negotiate a trade deal with Russia, the world’s number two dairy importer,” Mr Prosser says.

ENDS

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