Message of Nationwide Day of Action on 7 March: ‘TPPA? No Deal!’

“An amazing 22 towns and cities across New Zealand have rallied to the call for a nationwide day of action against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) on 7 March”, according to Chantelle Campbell who is coordinating the national events for the ItsOurFuture network.

“We’ve got all the major cities on board again, as well as towns like Whitianga, Hokitika and Taumarunui.[i] This is five more places than the massive turnout we had in November last year, where more than 10,000 Kiwis protested against the TPPA in 17 parts of New Zealand.”

Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand Rachel Le Mesurier explained why they are co-sponsoring the day: “Oxfam New Zealand remains deeply concerned about the potential impacts of the TPPA, not least of all because of the precedent it could set for future trade agreements in the Pacific region.”

“Just this week the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Mr Anand Grover, spoke out about the health impacts of these agreements.”

Trade unions are also strongly supporting the call to action. National Secretary of the EPMU Bill Newson said his union is concerned about “the potential to compromise New Zealand economic and commercial sovereignty, effectiveness of our labour market and employment laws and the secretive nature of the draft agreement contents.”

For Murray Horton from the Campaign Against Foreign Control (CAFCA), who are also sponsoring the day, the TPPA “is a modern version of the aborted 1990s’ Multilateral Agreement on Investment. The MAI was defeated by a global campaign, including in NZ, which saw it for what it was – an attempt to formalise the privatisation and corporatisation of global governance. What is stake here is national sovereignty, and there is no more important subject.”

“Would the TPPA be OK if it wasn’t secret? Short answer: no. The secrecy under which it is being negotiated simply adds insult to injury”.

The details of times and places for events in each town are on www..itsourfuture.org.nz and facebook ….

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[i] Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Gisborne, Invercargill, Hokitika, Levin, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Raglan, Tauranga, Taumarunui, Timaru, Wellington, Whanganui, Whangarei, Whitianga,

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