July 07, 2015
Crown fights TPPA Maori hearing
The crown has told the Waitangi Tribunal there is no point holding an urgent inquiry into claims against the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.
The tribunal is considering what it should do with a claim by Papaarangi Reid, Moana Jackson and others that signing up the massive trade deal would compromise the crown’s ability to uphold the Treaty of Waitangi.
Other iwi groups asked to join in.
In its initial response, crown law says the TPPA could be agreed this month, so it is not realistic to conduct a meaningful inquiry and report before it is signed.
It says making foreign policy is consistent with the Crown's kawanatanga right under the treaty, and in any case it took reasonable steps to inform itself of Maori interests
Claimants have not demonstrated that significant and irreversible prejudice will be caused, and New Zealand has insisted that a robust Treay of Waitangi exceptions clause be included in the document.
Crown Law says many of the concerns of claimants are unfounded, as can be seen by the successful implementation of existing free trade agreements with no prejudice to Maori, and the fact that New Zealand has not yet needed to invoke the Treaty of Waitangi exceptions provision.
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