Kiwis to fight back against TPPA 'corporate trap' on 8 November

New Zealanders in at least sixteen different locations around the country are organising for an International Day of Action against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) on 8 November, co-ordinated by It's Our Future NZ.

This is part of an international day of action to coincide with the next gathering of TPPA ministers and leaders around the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in November. Simultaneous actions are expected in Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Canada and the United States.

While there is huge pressure to conclude from participating governments and corporate lobbyists, more and more New Zealanders are starting to realise the significant impact the TPPA could have on their everyday life, according to It's Our Future NZ spokesperson Edward Miller.

"When Prime Minister John Key met President Obama in June this year, the pair discussed a November deadline to release a final outcome. We're now days out from that deadline and the US and Japan are still locking horns over agriculture," said Edward Miller.

"Trade Minister Groser has overestimated his negotiating prowess when he says that Tokyo and Washington will need Wellington's approval before finalising a deal; once the majors have settled then our input will be little more than an afterthought."

“Putting New Zealand’s name to such a deal would come at serious costs to internet freedom, affordable medicines, the right to regulate industries like mining, forestry or finance more tightly, and much more’.

"Concerned citizens around the country have been organising actions for 8 November to get the message out there that they don't want secretly negotiated deals that could endanger their jobs, their health, their livelihoods, their environment and their democracy."

“We are urging the government to listen to the will of the people on 8 November and not to sleepwalk into the TPPA corporate trap."

The sponsors of the 8 November action are Actors Equity, Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa, First Union, Greenpeace, Maritime Union of New Zealand, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Oxfam, Post Primary Teachers Association, Public Service Association, Tertiary Education Union.

Actions have been planned for the following centres: Auckland, Hamilton, Raglan, Tauranga, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Napier, Palmerston North, Levin, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin and Invercargill.

-Ends

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