Lori Wallach & political panel: “TPPA: Don’t sign” - Auckland Town Hall, 7pm Tues 26 Jan

The government has finally announced it intends hosting the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in Auckland on 4 February 2016.

There is a groundswell of opposition throughout New Zealand and in many other TPPA countries to the secretly negotiated deal. The New Zealand government’s offer to host the signing continues the profound disregard for public sentiment is has shown throughout the six years of negotiations.

A series of public meetings will be held in the main cities in the week leading up to the proposed signing to explain once again why this agreement is not good for New Zealand and should not be signed.

The first of the “TPPA: Don’t Sign” public meetings is on Tuesday night at 7pm in Auckland Town Hall.

Washington-based expert analyst Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen Global Trade Watch, will explain about the realities of TPPA politics in a US presidential election year, and the likelihood that the agreement will not get to a vote in 2016, after which it becomes hostage to a new administration.

University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey will discuss recent assessments of the impacts of the TPPA for New Zealand based on the series of peer reviewed expert papers that have now been released.*

The second half of the meeting will be a political panel of parliamentary representatives:

Grant Robertson, Economic Spokesperson, Labour Party

Metiria Turei, Co-leader, NZ Greens

Marama Fox, Co-leader, Maori Party

Fletcher Tabuteau, Trade Spokesperson, NZ First

Barry Coates from Its Our Future will talk about Auckland based activities in the lead-up to the proposed signing of the agreement on 4 February.

The meeting will be live streamed on Daily Blog.

The other meetings are at:

Wellington, Wednesday 27 January, 7pm, St Andrews on the Terrace

Christchurch, Thursday 28 January, 7pm, Cardboard Cathedral

Dunedin, Friday 29 January, 7pm, Burns Hall (next to First Church), Moray Place

The “TPPA: Don’t Sign” speaking tour is co-sponsored by ItsOurFuture, ActionStation, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and First Union.

*The expert papers on the Regulatory Process, Investment, Economics, Environment and Treaty of Waitangi can be accessed ontpplegal.wordpress.com.

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