October 05, 2015
Stll doubt over TPP outcome
Labour MP Rino Tirikatene says the secrecy surrounding the Trans Pacific Partnership makes it impossible to determine whether the giant trade pact could be good or bad for New Zealand.
Trade ministers and officials in Atlanta are still trying to reach agreement on major sticking points over automobiles, agriculture and market access, after they United States and Australia came to a compromise over drug patents.
Mr Tirikatene says the Government has asked New Zealanders to trust it, but people don’t know what it is trading away.
"Much like the rights of us as tangata whenua were taken away with the Kermadecs (marine sanctuary) with no anouncement, just John Key jumping up on stage overseas, the same with this. We don't know what impact it will have on our status as treaty partner, tangata whenua, we don't know the impact it will have on our cheap medicines, the sale of land, and what benefits we stand to gain as an export nation into these markets," he says.
A media conference to report progress has been postponed indefinitely, but if the Trans Pacific Partnership is to be completed at Atlanta it needs to happen in the next few hours.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com