Protesting the TPPA

Wellington - March against the TPPA

Stuff,

8 November, 2014

Thousands took to the streets today to protest against the the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), which organisers say is a secret deal that will threaten New Zealand's sovereignty.

The marches took place in centres across the country in opposition to the free trade agreement proposed between 12 Asian and Pacific countries, including New Zealand and the United States.

Protesters fear if the deal is done it will be harder for the government to look after the environment, promote health and protect workers and consumers.

Hundreds marched down Wellington's Cuba Mall with the rally buoyed by a big band rendition of the Muppet Show, amongst other tunes.

Wellington TPPA Action spokesperson Ariana Paretutanganui- Tamati said the rally would end at Civic Square in a targeted move to push for support from the Wellington City Council to adopt a 12 point TPPA resolution calling on the Government to safeguard their ability to make decisions in the best interests of the public that may arise, or be impacted on, by the TPPA.

Petitions calling on the Wellington, Porirua, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Kapiti City Councils to adopt the resolution were circulated at the rally.

The action is timed to coincide with the meeting of trade ministers from the twelve TPPA countries in Beijing, on the fringes of the APEC meeting.

"People tell us they are really frustrated. They are dead opposed to this agreement, but the government is not listening," It's Our Future NZ spokesman Edward Miller said.

"There are so many reasons why they oppose the TPPA. For some it's the secrecy and assault on democracy that is so offensive."

"Others can't believe that foreign investors and states are being given greater enforceable rights in Aotearoa than Maori have under the Treaty of Waitangi."

The Wellington march was one of 17 taking place around the country as part of an international day of action against the TPPA that includes Australia, Japan, Malaysia and the USA.

In Auckland a plane bearing the banner “TPPA No Way” was flown over the city from 12 until 2.30pm as the march moved from Aotea Square down Queen St to outside the US Embassy.

In New Plymouth more than 100 people briefly clogged the CBD.

New Plymouth protest spokeswoman Dr Stuart Bramhall slammed the ''secret deal'' for giving companies the right to sue countries if they felt their laws were impeding their business.

She said her biggest concern was powerful multi-national drug companies could cost the country billions if they protest that Crown agency Pharmac's purchase of generic medicines was hurting the sales of their branded pharmaceuticals.

Bramhall said she could not say why the government was pursuing such a deal as everything was being done in secret but it appeared that it would help facilitate exports from New Zealand to the USA.

This was not necessarily good for the country, she said.

''I think the government is being disingenuous. There are some companies that would benefit from trade with the USA. There is a small number that would benefit but the rest would not. The problem is the government right now doesn't do this for the majority. They do things for the good of their business friends,'' Bramhall said.

Without police escort the protesters briefly held up traffic as they chanted and handed out pamphlets calling the TPPA a corporate trap.

Meanwhile, in Timaru, only a few South Cantabrians joined the protest.

Organiser Abbeyrose Neho led 44 people on a march from Timaru's Bay Hill Piazza to the Strathallan corner to protest the deal demonstrators said was unduly secretive and endangered governments' ability to legislate.

Timaru Grey Power president Denise Fitzgerald told the assembled protestors the TPPA threatened the power of government drug-buying agency Pharmac to reduce medicine costs in New Zealand.

The Green Party's Rangitata electorate convener Gerrie Ligtenberg said too little information about the 12 country deal was available, but she believed it would threaten public health policies, workers' rights and agriculture.

Demonstrator Chris Ashton said he believed the TPPA would increase business' ability to due governments in arbitration tribunals if government policies affected their profitability.

Renee Haumu said she was marching to ''keep New Zealand for New Zealanders''.

Neho had hoped about 100 South Cantabrians would march against the deal. Protestor Hayley Tyler said the turnout was disappointing.

''A heap of people said they were too tired.''

Neho said more protests would be planned for South Canterbury against the deal, which has been under negotiation since 2010.

IMAGES: more than 1000 in in Civic Square for Wellington rally against TPPA

Scoop,

8 November, 2014

A rally against the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement brought a crowd of more than a thousand people to Civic Square in Wellington this afternoon.

They were responding to a call to support a return to public interest – placing people and planet before the interests of corporations and profit. Wellington was one of 16 rallies and anti-TPPA events being held today throughout New Zealand.

The Wellington marchers assembled at the Cuba St Bucket Fountain from 1:00 pm and then marched to Civic Square.

Twitter photo: First Union

Wellington TPPA Action spokesperson Ariana Paretutanganui-Tamati said she encouraged people to ‘participate in the rally and learn more about Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations. It is imperative that all New Zealanders know about what this Government is negotiating in secret on our behalf as the TPPA has wide-reaching implications for us all and threaten such things as internet freedoms, affordable medicines, our environment, workers’ rights, small businesses and our sovereignty.”

“We are deliberately meeting at Civic Square as the Rally emphasis is on generating support for the Wellington City Council, and other Local Councils in the Greater Wellington Region, to adopt a 12 point TPPA resolution calling on the Government to safeguard their ability to make decisions in the best interests of the public that may arise, or be impacted on, by the TPPA. Other Councils throughout the country are being lobbied to adopt the resolution. Petitions calling on the Wellington, Porirua, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Kapiti City Councils to adopt the resolution will be circulated at the Rally.”

“What we know about the TPPA, through leaked text, is that its emphasis is on protecting the profitability of corporations and their investments at the detriment of public interests and the environment.”

“’National Interest must be defined in terms that promote the public interest. The government is elected as our servant and should enact legislation in the best interests of the public. The TPPA will undermine their ability to do so. We are appealing to the public to join us in sending a strong message to this Government this Saturday to “STOP the TPPA” and join us in getting our Local Councils to adopt the TPPA resolution says Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati.

Speakers at the rally addressed the impacts on Zealand’s quality of life and sovereign ability to legislate in the public interest. Free Trade Agreements such as North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) blunt and arbitrary in their effect on victim populations. NAFTA has destroyed Mexico’s indigenous corn agriculture, and replaced it with industrial scale mono cropping based on Monsanto’s GMO corn varieties. These have reduced the sovereignty of the farmers and increased the dislocation of people from their previous supportive communities.

TPPA and the Free Trade Agreement agenda, will also negatively effect climate change and promote environmental destruction.

This comes particularly through the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provision of the Investment Chapter of the TPPA. This investment chapter is promoted aggressively by the corporation’s champion, the US Trade Authority (US Trade). They demand that New Zealand’s negotiators at the Trade Negotiations Division (TND) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), agree to these insidious provisions who’s object is to undermine public interest.

Speakers included Sue Kedgley, Greater Wellington Regional Councillor and former Green Party MP. She is most concerned at the effect TPPA will have on all local government and food sovereignty. Dr Gay Keating cautioned how the TPPA will threaten Pharmac’s role, the availability of affordable medicines and enacting public health regulations like Smokefree 2025.

Greg Rzesniowiecki reported on the campaign to gain local government’s agreement to a public interest TPPA policy formula based on a decision made by Auckland Council in December 2012. This policy has since been adopted by Nelson City, Tasman District, Christchurch City and Dunedin City Councils.

Twitter photo: Tom Haig

There were to be 350 `Stop the TPPA’ signs held by participants at the rally.