CYPS, CYFS, “I’ve just taken over your case and can’t comment on what has happened before ”
I have seen both sides of state involvement in my family. A National Women’s social worker’s report to CYPS contained an error that lead to two years of intervention by an agency that I found had “powers the Gestapo would envy”. They could arrive unannounced anytime at home, work, in the street. Their intrusive accusatory actions made the first two years of my sons life Kafkaesque.
Some years later when our family was struggling CYFS as they had become turned up again. Dread turned to gratitude as a genuinely wonderful social worker made the system work for us.
Sitting down at a cafe I read the front page of the Herald. Then I read it again, but this time reading between the lines. No one deserves to be treated like that, and it doesn’t take a 1100 page report to do something about it.
“I have just been handed your case and can’t comment on what happened before ” is the real problem something needs to be done about
Latest TPP News
“U.S. Formally Tables ‘5+3’ Years Exclusivity Period For Biologics Drugs
ATLANTA — The United States has formally tabled here to other Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries a proposal that would require parties to grant five years of data exclusivity for biologics drugs and impose an additional three years of “post-market surveillance,” in the first official sign that it is willing to drop its 12-year market exclusivity demand.”
This is virtually the 8 years it has been vying for all along. Say NO, Tim!
“Amari Sees Glimmer Of Hope As Dairy Makes Progress; Obama Calls Turnbull
ATLANTA — Akira Amari, the Japanese minister for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), said late Thursday (Oct. 1) that negotiations continue to be extremely difficult but that he is beginning to see a glimmer of hope that a deal can get done here, as negotiators opted to extend the meeting at least through Saturday amid signs of progress on dairy market access.'”
“TPP means ‘ugly compromises’
He (Tim Groser) said it was clear there was a “massive push” to do the deal.
“It’s got the smell of a situation we occasionally see which is that on the hardest core issues, there are some ugly compromises out there.
“And when we say ugly, we mean ugly from each perspective – it doesn’t mean ‘I’ve got to swallow a dead rat and you’re swallowing foie gras.’ It means both of us are swallowing dead rats on three or four issues to get this deal across the line.”
“On the issue of Helen Clark’s comments about the TPP – she said it was unthinkable New Zealand wouldn’t be part of the deal – he said she had added a crucial rider – “provided the deal was good”.
Mr Groser said he did not take Labour or its leadership for granted on TPP.
“They haven’t got a position on TPP and I fully respect that and if I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t have a position either because I would say ‘I don’t know what the deal is.’ That is a perfectly rational position to take.”
Email Audrey
@audreyNZH
Audrey Young Audrey Young is the New Zealand Herald’s political editor.
TPP means ‘ugly compromises’
5:00 AM Saturday Oct 3, 2015
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Tim Groser says the negotiations are going round the clock. Photo / NZME
Tim Groser says the negotiations are going round the clock. Photo / NZME
Trade Minister Tim Groser says countries deeply immersed in TPP negotiations understand that dairy has to be resolved to New Zealand’s satisfaction before a deal can be done.
“At least people understand that this has got to be done and they can’t just ignore our small country because we are small,” he told the Weekend Herald.
He also extended a goodwill gesture to Labour, saying he respected the fact it had not taken a position on TPP and that was “perfectly rational”.
Mr Groser was speaking from Atlanta where ministers of the 12 countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership have extended their meeting for another 24 hours.
He said he had spoken to Prime Minister John Key in New York several times over the past few hours.
And I’ve got highly confidential but very clear political guidelines from the Prime Minister about what I should be doing.
Tim Groser
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He had a team of about 15 with him “working their proverbials off” around the clock and some of the key stakeholders such as the chairman of Fonterra, John Wilson and the chairman of Dairy Companies of New Zealand. He said it was an achievement to get dairy on the list of the final three issues that had to be dealt with because it was not there at the Maui ministerial meeting at the end of July.
“I felt under as intense pressure as I have ever felt in the last 30 years as a New Zealand negotiator because I felt completely and totally isolated,” he said. “Now everyone understands that New Zealand is not going to be pushed out of this negotiation and the issues that would push New Zealand out of this negotiation, which is dairy … this has got be solved in a way that New Zealand can live with.”
He said the negotiations were going around the clock and he was just about to try and get a couple of hours’ sleep until he was called for another session.
He said it was clear there was a “massive push” to do the deal.
“It’s got the smell of a situation we occasionally see which is that on the hardest core issues, there are some ugly compromises out there.
“And when we say ugly, we mean ugly from each perspective – it doesn’t mean ‘I’ve got to swallow a dead rat and you’re swallowing foie gras.’ It means both of us are swallowing dead rats on three or four issues to get this deal across the line.”
The outstanding issues are dairy, autos, and IP on pharmaceuticals, especially biologics – medicines made from organisms.
On the issue of Helen Clark’s comments about the TPP – she said it was unthinkable New Zealand wouldn’t be part of the deal – he said she had added a crucial rider – “provided the deal was good”.
And that was the same position the Government had.
“I think it has been extremely helpful in terms of uniting New Zealand that our former Prime Minister has said what she said.”
Mr Groser said he did not take Labour or its leadership for granted on TPP.
“They haven’t got a position on TPP and I fully respect that and if I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t have a position either because I would say ‘I don’t know what the deal is.’ That is a perfectly rational position to take.”
But as a point of general principle, what Helen Clark had said was the essential truth: “Provided we can deliver what makes sense from an overall New Zealand Inc perspective, it would be a nightmare for New Zealand to be excluded from it.”
Terrifying Paul. Of course if we were not signatories we could be crushed by the multinationals. Excluded from all and everything as retaliation for not being party to TPP. Rock and hard place?
If you look to the right of the screen (I make it about level with comment 3, but that may change), you will see that very graphic that you’ve posted (just above the accumulated Atmospheric CO2 graphic). The people who regularly visit this site are not the ones who may be unaware of this.
I get that you’re passionate about this, and it is a daunting problem requiring urgent action. But you are coming off as a bit too eager, which may be counterproductive.
Hmm graphic seems to have changed (was the accumulated energy one). Can’t edit now, so disregard previous comment. Though I still contend that discussing is better than proclaiming is a better way to get your point across.
How is encouraging people to pass on message about TPP too eager? By that definition, Jane Kelsey is too eager by far!
The Labour Party is equivocal about the TPP and is not communicating its dangers enough to the people of NZ.
Still a neoliberal party, sadly.
“Of course if we were not signatories we could be crushed by the multinationals. Excluded from all and everything as retaliation for not being party to TPP. Rock and hard place?”
Ianmac, can you please give some examples of why this would be a problem?
Latest TPP News
Froman, Robb Meet On IP Ahead Of CN Meeting, Ministerial Plenary
ATLANTA — U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb on Friday afternoon (Oct. 2) were holding a bilateral meeting to discuss the controversial issue of the exclusivity term for biologics drugs, in what could be a pivotal moment for whether a broader Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal comes together here.
Levin Says ‘May 10’ Applies To Biologics, Signals Opposition To ‘5+3’
ATLANTA — House Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) on Friday (Oct. 2) strongly signaled that he opposes the new U.S. proposal for an eight-year market exclusivity term for biologics drugs in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) because it goes beyond the so-called “May 10” agreement that he negotiated with the George W. Bush administration. http://insidetrade.com/
Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich) is Ranking Member of the Committee on Ways and Means, which has sole jurisdiction over trade policy in the House.
I don’t think nsd is a sleep hobbit. I think he is aware of the issues but don’t think they are a concern. He’s not ignorant, he’s just comfortable with the globalisation agenda.
I’ve been fairly open about my position on the TPPA.
Succinctly I believe we should only enter an agreement if it offers good access for our key horticultural/agricultural exports into North America and Japan, I’m doubtful that it will hence i wouldn’t be in a hurry to sign up.
I’ve also read a lot of pap on the internet regarding loss of sovereignty and immediate privatisation of everything from healthcare through to water which is frankly drivel.
I’ve also read a lot of pap on the internet regarding loss of sovereignty and immediate privatisation of everything from healthcare through to water which is frankly drivel
Claiming to know it is drivel is an ironic position ?
Some of the comments have been ridiculous, such as suggesting we are going to no longer have a predominantly publicly funded healthcare or education system or that PHARMAC would cease to exist under an agreement that a NZ government would enter into are absurd.
Time you woke up to the fact that this is not a free trade deal that we are being asked to sign up to. Its a “rolling out of the red carpet” for offshore corporates to come in and wreck the country, its sovereignty and its economy for their own benefit.
This is not rocket science. Read the literature that is available, including the copious ‘writings on the wall(s)”.
ISDS provisions that remove a Government’s ability to legislate for the National interest with any provisions which conflict with foreign private corporate interest.
For example, re Nationalising banks, rail or power will be forever impossible. Pretty scary when you look at what corporations are doing in the US, over similar provisions between States.
Even our current support for Dairy would be considered outside the treaty provisions.
Actually re-nationalising things would be the least impacted by the new rules. Labour re-nationalised kiwirail by buying it – and apparently paying way too much in the process. Corporates would be fine with the asset being bought fair and square for more than it’s market value.
Worth reading, dated 2 Oct 2015 from Stiglitz and Hersh
“For starters, consider what the agreement would do to expand intellectual property rights for big pharmaceutical companies, as we learned from leaked versions of the negotiating text. Economic research clearly shows the argument that such intellectual property rights promote research to be weak at best. In fact, there is evidence to the contrary: When the Supreme Court invalidated Myriad’s patent on the BRCA gene, it led to a burst of innovation that resulted in better tests at lower costs. Indeed, provisions in the TPP would restrain open competition and raise prices for consumers in the US and around the world – anathema to free trade.”
In fact, there is evidence to the contrary: When the Supreme Court invalidated Myriad’s patent on the BRCA gene, it led to a burst of innovation that resulted in better tests at lower costs.
That’s been obvious for awhile. In fact, patents are actually there to prevent competition and thus they must decrease innovation. And when you look at these types of results we can see that cooperation would lead to even more innovation but it would prevent a few people becoming rich. Of course, it’s not the people doing the innovation that are becoming rich but the shareholders in the corporations.
If the deal is so important that it is “unthinkable” that New Zealand should not be in it then it should also be “unthinkable” that the people should be left completely uninformed about it. In a democracy highly important matters are supposedly decided by an informed citizenry.
Or are we not a democracy but simply a state ruled by a paternalistic elite who are so sure that they know what is best for us – and are so scared of our ‘ignorance’ – that they ensure we, ‘the people’, play no part in forming our social and economic destiny?
All elites through history have shown, by their egregious behaviour if not by their oh-so-patronising utterances, that they disdain the capacities of ‘the masses’ to rule themselves.
While I never liked Clark she has this dead right. We elect governments to negotiate ongoing development of free trade. The FTAs were her great achievement. The idea that you could do this publicly is absurd.
Hopefully the TPPA is the dawn of a new era of globalisation.
‘Publically’ and total secrecy are two ends of a long continuum. There has been no official information provided over these negotiations – apart from vacuous comments about how ‘well’ it was going.
Hillary’s knighthoods, both of them, were of course awarded by the Brits, and had nothing at all to do with New Zealand.
That will probably make them more palatable to Anglophiles such as the commenters on this blog.
I think that Audrey Young was trying to address that misrepresentation in her article I linked to above when she wrote :
“On the issue of Helen Clark’s comments about the TPP – she said it was unthinkable New Zealand wouldn’t be part of the deal – he said she had added a crucial rider – “provided the deal was good”.
Australia’s Trade Minister, Andrew Robb says “I came to lower protection so I get frustrated if we are talking about increasing protection in the case of biologics or see no reduction in other areas,” Mr Robb told the newspaper in Atlanta. “Something has to give.”
This is NOT a FREE TRADE Agreement.
I too want to see Labour NOT compromising. TPPA No Way is my bottom line while ISDS included.
I think that posturing politicians from countries dealing with TPPA feel that their personal stature and manhood is on the line. Are they up to this tough bargaining or are they wooses? What they are bargaining away doesn’t matter it is the winning a point that gives them a buzz.
That sort of attitude is no doubt behind Oz Trade Minister Andrew Robb. Thinking of infamous Rolf Harris, his song about the man supported on three points comes to mind. Nickname for Robb – ‘Jake the Peg, with a wooden leg’?
When Groser utters “ugly compromises” he really means “ugly sacrifices”; the choice of words is, as always, very important and one needs to pay special attention to the spin that comes from our Government and that is so helpfully (!) spread through and by our MSM as we all know all too well.
Groser has also been quoted saying “… it would be a nightmare for New Zealand to be excluded from it.” This emotive and scaremongering statement offers no relevant information whatsoever either.
As with any (important) decision one needs to look at all aspects and examine the consequences of going ahead as well as of not going ahead – not making a decision is still making a decision. The fact that this either involves “ugly compromises” – that are unnamed – or “a nightmare for New Zealand” – also unspecified – should raise alarm bells with any rational person.
Please note the focus – the focus of the MSM and therefore our focus – has been directed and drawn to the issues dairy, autos, and IP on pharmaceuticals. No word on all the other areas that are possibly even more far-reaching so we have to assume that these ‘dead rats’ have already been stuffed down our throats well and truly.
BTW, IMO the ‘average Kiwi’ has very little understanding of and thus very little interest in IP on biologics and other ‘technicalities’ that are covered in the putative TPPA.
Well there has been another massacre by another lone gunman in the USA.
I’m sorry but but this type of event is no longer news for me: it’s a incredibly sad commentary. The news would be if something, other than further relaxing gun laws, was done.
“Russia has made good on its commitment to start fighting Islamic State in Syria from the air. Russia is also establishing a coalition to protect the legal government in Damascus. This has caused an uproar in Washington. Can the Kremlin and the White House fight terrorists in tandem? CrossTalking with Patrick Henningsen, James Carafano, and Marwa Osman.”
Of the over 500 candidates at the last election, maybe only 5 would have spoken about the impossibility of kiwi Saver surviving more than a few more years.
Politicians are a byproduct of an ignorant dumb down populace, we get what we deserve.
And 3 replies with no link yet ?
OPEN LETTER TO JOSIE PAGANI
Saturday 3 October 2015
Dear Josie Pagani,
Two and a half weeks ago on this forum, I asked you to answer two questions:
1.) In the light of your support for the destruction of Afghanistan, do you support the invasion of the United States and Great Britain, the bombing and obliteration of British and American schools, hospitals, power stations and churches, and the killing of hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of American and British civilians?
2.) Can you explain your statement that Hezbollah and Hamas are anti-Semitic?
Can you explain your statement that Hezbollah and Hamas are anti-Semitic?
Will mainstream ever allow open discussion about Semitic people and their origins ?
That ‘antisemitism’ became terminology which could perversely be levered against those who have Semitic DNA, is testament to the level of control held over communication, language and its primary forms
It didn’t become terminology. It became a definition which has nothing to do with DNA. In its simplest form Antisemitism means hatred of Jews. It doesn’t mean hatred of Semites.
It’s perhaps an unfortunate use of a word but that’s not exactly uncommon, a great many legal definitions don’t match the description of the word(s) used either.
It’s perhaps an unfortunate use of a word but that’s not exactly uncommon, a great many legal definitions don’t match the description of the word(s) used either
“NDP government would not adhere to a TPP deal, Mulcair says in letter”
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair is serving notice that a New Democratic Party government would not consider itself bound by the terms of a major Pacific Rim trade deal which the ruling Conservatives are negotiating right now in Atlanta.
He says the Conservative government has no mandate to agree to the big changes that a Trans-Pacific Partnership deal would bring about.
The NDP Leader’s announcement is well timed in that it comes as a TPP deal appears increasingly likely to be reached shortly by the 12 Pacific Rim countries including Canada which are gathered in Atlanta.
Where we are, and where we are heading, using all the modern day apps and the internet, via smart phone, tablets, laptops or whatever. This ‘News Hour Extra’ program offered by the BBC World Service (from yesterday) offers some insight.
I am very concerned how so many blindly trust the technology we almost all use daily now, the future looks more Orwellian than I ever dreaded to think before.
Indigenous woman speaks truth to sociopaths and refuses them entry onto ancestral lands to frack. Sociopath speaks with forked tongue.
“I’m not protesting, I’m not demonstrating, I’m occupying our homelands”
“Meaningful consultation and consent is when you’ve sat down and got our permission and you’ve never done that”.
“You’re pushing, pushing for all that money, but you’re not going to be able to eat that money. You have all that money in your bank account and you’re destroying the planet”
Auckland property is not driven by overseas buyers,
Yet “Chinese property investors are rapidly disappearing from the auction room, says the boss of Auckland’s biggest real estate agency”
And “Thompson did not believe the drop off was related to the Labour-sparked row over foreign ownership and predicted Chinese investors would return to the market within the next couple of months.” http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11519706
id this the same man who only a few months was quoted as saying
Barfoot & Thompson chief Peter Thompson acknowledged that there were many Chinese buyers but disagreed with Labour’s analysis.
“We know there’s been a large portion of Asians buying property but there’s no way to tell if they’re one of three categories: NZ born, foreign-born NZ citizens or foreign-born foreign citizens. If you asked me about Asian non-residents, I’d probably say between 5 and 8 per cent.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11478719
Funny how in just over 2 months mr Thompson can now say that the lack of these buyers IS now affecting the market 😜
Who is the more violent and despicable character: Bill Clinton or Chris Brown?
It’s a no-brainer, of course, but for some reason Kim Hill seems confused.
Radio NZ National, Saturday 3 October 2015
During her interview this morning with the chattery writer and “theatre-maker” Stella Duffy, Kim Hill brought up the vexed question of our brave and principled government’s refusal to let Chris Brown into New Zealand. Both of them seemed to think this little exercise in highly selective morality was acceptable. I sent Kim the following email….
The Chris Brown hypocrisy
Dear Kim,
We gave Bill Clinton a state reception and lionized him. Next to Clinton, Chris Brown is Albert Schweitzer.
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
After the 11 o’clock news, Kim Hill read out my email and then replied on air: “D’ya think, Morrissey? When did Bill Clinton whack a woman, or anybody else?”
As she spoke, her voice took on a hard-edged and imperious tone, to underline how irritated she was at my impugning of the reputation of the saintly former president.
I replied thusly….
Dear Kim,
While Clinton’s predatory behaviour toward women is notorious and well documented, he has not to my knowledge ever “whacked” a woman. So, in that respect, he has the advantage over Chris Brown.
However, Chris Brown was not involved in the bombing of pharmaceutical plants and television stations; neither did he preside over a “sanctions” regime that led to the deaths of more than half a million Iraqi children.
And Chris Brown did not write in apparent high seriousness that unarmed Palestinian protestors executed by the IDF were “killed in crossfire”.
So, yes, Chris Brown hit at least one woman, and his rap lyrics are despicable, but there is simply no comparison between him and a major criminal like Bill Clinton.
Good point.
There was a certain tone of derision in Kim’s voice.
Think she didn’t realise the crimes Clinton committed.
He’s the equivalent of Tony Balir in the UK.
Latest TPP News
TPP Countries Set Deadlines For Final Tariff, NCM Offers; Plenary Pushed Back
ATLANTA — Amid an intense push to complete the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), negotiators have set deadlines for final offers on tariffs and non-conforming measures of 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., respectively, on Saturday (Oct. 3), according to informed sources. http://insidetrade.com/ paywalled
“For the 11 countries besides the U.S. that are involved in the TPP, current data exclusivity protections range from zero (Brunei) to eight years (Japan). Under the Obama Administration’s current proposal, participating countries would increase those periods to match the US standard of 12 years.
Curiously, this proposal directly contradicts the administration’s ongoing domestic efforts to lower the period of data exclusivity. Since the ACA passed, the Obama administration has repeatedly proposed reducing it to seven, arguing that this would save Medicare $4.4 billion over the next decade. Some have noted that, once the 12-year period is enshrined in the TPP, it will become significantly more difficult to change it through the US legislative process.
Furthermore, imposing US standards on the 11 member countries would inevitably restrict competition at the global level, and many patient advocacy and international humanitarian organizations have argued that doing so would undermine the efforts of US global health initiatives like the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which rely on price competition to manage program costs.”
The latest publicised offer was 5+3 = 8 years (reduced from the 12 in the article.
Sigh, this has been discussed on this blog a number of times now.
Firstly the biological drugs make up a small percentage of the medicines that are used, secondly the biological medicines that are currently funded by PHARMAC are contracted and the prices will not change, thirdly whether the eight years of data exclusivity will impact on the patents, thirdly funding or availability of any of the new medicines that haven’t yet got to NZ is open to debate, but on PHARMAC’s previous success rate in getting these medicines at a very good deal even when under patent I’m not overly concerned.
Again, I believe the biggest issue will be access for our agricultural/horticultural products into North America and Japan which I would be amazed if there’s anything worthwhile.
@northshoredoc I have been under the impression that biological drugs would be used increasingly in the future but I am prepared to be proven wrong. I agree with your view on the minimal access improvements however.
The most commonly used biologic is GE insulin, followed by the TNFs and certain cancer meds we have excellent access to insulin at present and to TNFs both at very competitive prices despite in the case of TNFs still being under patent.
Access to cancer biologics could be better but the current prices preclude them being easily available.
Given the veil of secrecy surrounding the TPP negotiations, it is not clear whether tobacco will be excluded from some aspects of ISDS. Either way, the broader issue remains: Such provisions make it hard for governments to conduct their basic functions – protecting their citizens’ health and safety, ensuring economic stability, and safeguarding the environment.
Imagine what would have happened if these provisions had been in place when the lethal effects of asbestos were discovered. Rather than shutting down manufacturers and forcing them to compensate those who had been harmed, under ISDS, governments would have had to pay the manufacturers not to kill their citizens. Taxpayers would have been hit twice – first to pay for the health damage caused by asbestos, and then to compensate manufacturers for their lost profits when the government stepped in to regulate a dangerous product.
It should surprise no one that America’s international agreements produce managed rather than free trade. That is what happens when the policymaking process is closed to non-business stakeholders – not to mention the people’s elected representatives in Congress.
An interesting aside – there has been talk and action taken to exclude high sugar drinks from being sold in hospitals around the country, and perhaps in taxing these drinks, like tobacco, to make them less palatable to the general public. Under the ISDS provisions of TPPA, who’d put money against the idea of Cocoa Cola or Pepsi taking our government to an overseas judicial process to – a) get any legislation reversed or b) to claim compensation for restraint of trade?
Your scenario is hypothetical. The New Zealand Government has ruled out such a tax. But that aside, it is no bad thing to have an international judiciary enforcing free trade. You should applaud it.
The tax on tobacco in New Zealand simply hurts the poor, including the children of the poor. Uneducated people smoke more. They also have lower incomes. When I see fat people and their fat kids at the supermarket buying 12 litres of coke, they don’t look too bright or wealthy. Why penalise them more by taxing them?
Latest TPP News
Guajardo Hopeful Of Deal After Australia, U.S. Report IP Progress At Plenary
ATLANTA – Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal here on Friday evening (Oct. 2) expressed hope that a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal can be reached by Saturday, but said the United States and Australia were still working to overcome the key hurdle of the monopoly period for biologic drugs.
NDP Leader Says Harper TPP Deal Not Binding On New Government
Tom Mulcair, the leader of Canada’s New Democrat Party (NDP), on Friday (Oct. 2) warned that any new government he may form if he wins the Oct. 19 federal election will not consider itself bound by a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal that that current Prime Minister Stephen Harper may strike before then. http://insidetrade.com/
Thanks very much for the ongoing updates. The situation is very much worrying me but have a lot of other things to do at present which prevent me from researching myself. So, really appreciate your comments here with useful links.
Is there anybody out there who can help me – we don’t have a Sky subscription and are missing some of the key games of the RWC – we did manage to get BBC Wales on the internet the other day and listened to a wonderful live radio commentary on the Wales/England game and are now trying to find a TV/radio station in the UK who may give a radio commentary live on the England/Australia game tomorrow – so far we are having no luck cruising through the UK TV/Radio stations – is there a geek out there who can help us – my partner is pretty good at finding stuff on the net – I think NZ are mean as hell not putting on free to air TV or even radio for that matter, games which are crucial or just going to be down to the wire games in the competition for folk who, for reasons of their own, don’t want the crap Sky puts on and hate the way they deny us the fun of seeing some of the more important games. Not everybody wants to go to a pub and try to watch the game through the noise etc.
As an aside the AB’s are looking sluggish and flat – and, other than Argentina haven’t even had a real top side to slug it out with – fun and games ahead.
Thanks Nadis – just logged on – 25 minutes to go for the England/Australia game – my partner and I will endeavour to to download hola – I knew there would be somewhere out there in the ether who would come to our assistance. Enjoy the game.
Back again Nadis – thanks so much, mission accomplished, the geek in my household got us on line and the two of us sat back and watched the game – the English coach looked sick as a dog at the end, can’t help but feel sorry for the team – with the Australian kicker I think Dan Carter might not feel so good either – Foley I think his name was – my can he kick goals. I knew somebody out there would help us!!! Enjoy the rest of the tournament – I know we will.
Opposition teams were nervous about the prospect of facing an All Blacks haiku.
England coach Stuart Lancaster said his team were perfectly relaxed when the All Blacks perform their blood curling, throat slitting haka, but the thought of facing Richie McCaw, Ma’a Nonu, and co reciting Japanese poetry was absolutely terrifying.
I’m sure it does. But I’m also fairly sure that you don’t understand the various complexities that lead to some people being larger than others, and that your sense of fairness is also based on prejudice (how is it fair for a smaller boned, short person to pay less for travel than a larger boned, tall person?).
While it might be “fair” that someone who requires more av-gas to transport them pays more, I expect the extra effort required to implement such a Naki-system would be uber-stupid.
“That system is done for every trademe parcel sent through the post. Honestly, its not that much effort.”
Except that NZPost changed their system a few years ago to volumetric so now it’s laborious and complicated. Plus, isn’t it NZPost that’s bleeding profit because it does stupid shit like this? Not a good example.
“(how is it fair for a smaller boned, short person to pay less for travel than a larger boned, tall person?).”
It costs the airline more in fuel to carry bigger people.
So it is fair that they pay more for their flight
Yes, it’s “fair”, and uber-stupid. Anyone with half a brain would think to themselves about how the booking system would work and how the check-in procedure would have to change, and conclude that only a right wing nut job could be responsible for such stupidity.
It’s a signal from the market: right wing policy shills make terrible economic decisions, and you can make a buck concealing their incompetence, S Rylands.
A couple of twitter feeds from Atlanta TPP talks for anyone interested.
1. Burcu Kilic@burcuno
Patent geek, digital rights advocate, IP scholar, lawyer, globetrotter and wannabe photographer; Public Citizen’s Global Access to Medicines Program
From newstalk zb
“Recent comments made by Trade Minister Tim Groser have concerned the Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Ian Powell.
“Well when Tim Groser as trade minister began talking about having to swallow a dead rat and knowing that medicines is still one of the big contentious issues still outstanding in the trade negotiations, we became extremely alarmed.”
Shameless State Department propaganda masquerading as news;
Poor old Simon Shepherd doesn’t even bat an eyelid as he reads the tripe he’s handed.
TV3 News, Saturday 3 October 2015
They try to maintain those poker faces, but occasionally television news readers will register their discomfort at having to read out some offensive or ludicrous item. Last year, at the height of the Gaza massacre, Peter Williams grimaced and looked unhappy after reading out a piece of low propaganda that might have been written by someone at the Israeli consulate. At other times, Simon Dallow, Hillary Barry, Wendy Petrie and even Susan Wood have frowned, averted their eyes or paused meaningfully to indicate what they think of their scripts. I’ve even seen newsreaders from that cartoonishly bad Murdoch outlet Fox News blanch at some of the crap they’re expected to read.
However, I have never seen any such redeeming signs of conscience from TV3’s owlish, ineffably pompous Simon Shepherd. He doesn’t seem to have a skeptical bone in his body. Nothing fazes him, apparently—not even the preposterous State Department talking points (i.e., lies) he was handed to read out this evening.
At 6:20 p.m. Shepherd furrowed his brow, narrowed his eyes, pursed his lips and attempted to look REALLY serious….
SIMON SHEPHERD:[speaking in an ominous tone, summoning up all the gravitas he can manage] President Putin says he’s bombing ISIL targets but, as ITV’s Jack Fisher reports, NOBODY believes him….
It turns out that “ITV’s Jack Fisher” is trying even harder than Simon Shepherd to show how serious he is—unfortunately for his viewers, however, he’s not serious about being a journalist.
What Fisher is serious about is parroting the official talking points of the Obama regime. He speaks gravely of “President Obama’s DAMNING assessment of Russia’s actions”, before cutting to a ludicrously brief edited comment from Dr. Domitilla Sagramoso of Kings College London. The purpose of showing Dr Sagramoso has nothing to do with analysis; rather, it is to provide at least the appearance of authority to what even the hapless slaves at ITV will know perfectly well is nothing more than a crude piece of propaganda. After Dr Sagramoso’s eight seconds of input, it’s back to Jack Fisher for the almost comically ironic peroration, once again in that faux sérieux style…
JACK FISHER, ITV:[sombrely, to convey how serious he is] People will remember Russia’s protracted wars in Chechnya and Afghanistan and wonder: WHERE will it all end?”
Then it’s back to Simon Shepherd, still trying to look as though he’s serious.
‘We are told they may be close to reaching a final deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in Atlanta, and longer monopolies for Big Pharma over biologic medicines is the final sticking point’, according to Professor Jane Kelsey, who is in touch with people on the ground in Atlanta.
The US is insisting on eight years total monopoly protection. Several countries are holding firm. But there are real fears New Zealand could cave.
Trade Minister Tim Groser.
Trade Minister Groser is quoted in this morning’s Herald as saying every country will have to swallow multiple dead rats to finalise the deal in an ‘ugly compromise’.
‘In New Zealand’s case, the dead rat seems to be a dairy for medicines deal’, said Professor Kelsey. ‘If this happens, we can expect the Minister to hail the “net benefits” of the TPPA to New Zealand, playing up supposed gains to dairy exports that remain to be seen, and playing down New Zealand’s agreement to longer monopoly protection for biologics.’
‘But the stark reality is that any such deal to close the TPPA would cost New Zealander’s lives.’
Health economists calculate that every added year of protection for biologics would cost New Zealand many tens of millions of dollars in current spending, and much more in the future as more biologics come on stream.
‘Future New Zealand governments would have to stump up hundreds of millions of dollars more to Pharmac.
Yet this year the National government refused to fund even the modest budget increase Pharmac sought to meet rising costs.’
‘Cancer sufferers in Atlanta described the biologics provision as a “death sentence clause”.
Do Prime Minister Key and Minister Groser want that recorded as their legacy?’
URGENT! Attention NZ Prime Minister John Key!
Scanned petition forms re: TPPA
Prime Minister
John Key
Please be advised that attached are nearly 300 signatures of people who have signed the following petition:
“To Prime Minister John Key
MP for Helensville
We, the undersigned:
Are deeply concerned that as a key advocate for the ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), you are a shareholder in the Bank of America, as detailed in the 2015 MPs Register of Financial Interests
(Pg 29)
“Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)
2 Other companies and business entities
……………………………………………………….
Bank of America – banking”
We see this as a serious ‘conflict of interest’, given that big banks like the Bank of America, stand to benefit, and profit from this pro-corporate TPPA.
If this National Government, which you lead, does not ‘walk away’ from the secretive, undemocratic, ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement’ (TPPA), then we pledge to campaign vigorously amongst our friends, families, neighbours and workmates, for the voting public to ‘walk away’ from National.”
Increasing numbers of the voting public are becoming aware of your shareholding in the Bank of America, and are wondering just whose ‘national interest’ are you serving?
The ‘national (public) interest’ of New Zealand, or the ‘national (corporate) interest’ of the United States of America?
If the Bank of America benefits from the TPPA – then how will this not serve your personal self-interest. as a shareholder in the Bank of America?
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
Burcu Kilic @burcuno 13m13 minutes ago
Biologics is now the only potential deal-breaker, #TPP Ministerial may be extended again. Stay strong Australia, Chile, Peru & Malaysia!
Latest TPP News
TPP Ministerial May Be Extended Again As U.S., Australia Still At Odds On Biologics
ATLANTA – Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries are on the verge of extending the ministerial meeting here at least into Saturday evening (Oct. 3), after the United States and Australia overnight were unable to reach a deal on the monopoly protection period for biologics drugs, according to informed sources. http://insidetrade.com/
An absolute must read about biologics and the TPP. Why has Tim Groser folded on this fight? You need to read the whole article because it is excellent. It is outrageous that US are pushing this extension. Greed!
Is TPP the Most Progressive Trade Agreement in History? Not If You Need Access to Affordable Medicines
The May 10th Agreement struck the right balance between the need to promote innovation and the need to protect public health. TPP must meet the standards set in the May 10th Agreement. Right now it does not. It should not be loaded up with new anticompetitive provisions when governments struggle to manage health care costs.
Richard Madan @RichardMadan 8m8 minutes ago
The 12 trade ministers just agreed to stay longer in Atlanta if required; unlikely #TPP deal will be signed today at this point #cdnpoli
Only this
chard Madan @RichardMadan 22h22 hours ago
Trade Min @HonEdFast: Canada “pushing back” against efforts to open up dairy industry to foreign competition #TPP
I think that US are not letting the dairy be sorted until the biological dead rat is swallowed.
“Australia, along with others such as New Zealand and Chile, have been unwilling to offer more than five years protection for the medicines since longer terms will push up the cost of state-subsidized medical programs.
The impasse is holding up a deal on dairy trade, the main other sticking point in the talks”. http://au.investing.com/news/commodities-news/pacific-trade-talks-bogged-down-over-pharmaceuticals-9335
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CYPS, CYFS, “I’ve just taken over your case and can’t comment on what has happened before ”
I have seen both sides of state involvement in my family. A National Women’s social worker’s report to CYPS contained an error that lead to two years of intervention by an agency that I found had “powers the Gestapo would envy”. They could arrive unannounced anytime at home, work, in the street. Their intrusive accusatory actions made the first two years of my sons life Kafkaesque.
Some years later when our family was struggling CYFS as they had become turned up again. Dread turned to gratitude as a genuinely wonderful social worker made the system work for us.
Sitting down at a cafe I read the front page of the Herald. Then I read it again, but this time reading between the lines. No one deserves to be treated like that, and it doesn’t take a 1100 page report to do something about it.
“I have just been handed your case and can’t comment on what happened before ” is the real problem something needs to be done about
Latest TPP News
“U.S. Formally Tables ‘5+3’ Years Exclusivity Period For Biologics Drugs
ATLANTA — The United States has formally tabled here to other Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries a proposal that would require parties to grant five years of data exclusivity for biologics drugs and impose an additional three years of “post-market surveillance,” in the first official sign that it is willing to drop its 12-year market exclusivity demand.”
This is virtually the 8 years it has been vying for all along. Say NO, Tim!
“Amari Sees Glimmer Of Hope As Dairy Makes Progress; Obama Calls Turnbull
ATLANTA — Akira Amari, the Japanese minister for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), said late Thursday (Oct. 1) that negotiations continue to be extremely difficult but that he is beginning to see a glimmer of hope that a deal can get done here, as negotiators opted to extend the meeting at least through Saturday amid signs of progress on dairy market access.'”
http://insidetrade.com/ paywalled
“TPP means ‘ugly compromises’
He (Tim Groser) said it was clear there was a “massive push” to do the deal.
“It’s got the smell of a situation we occasionally see which is that on the hardest core issues, there are some ugly compromises out there.
“And when we say ugly, we mean ugly from each perspective – it doesn’t mean ‘I’ve got to swallow a dead rat and you’re swallowing foie gras.’ It means both of us are swallowing dead rats on three or four issues to get this deal across the line.”
“On the issue of Helen Clark’s comments about the TPP – she said it was unthinkable New Zealand wouldn’t be part of the deal – he said she had added a crucial rider – “provided the deal was good”.
Mr Groser said he did not take Labour or its leadership for granted on TPP.
“They haven’t got a position on TPP and I fully respect that and if I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t have a position either because I would say ‘I don’t know what the deal is.’ That is a perfectly rational position to take.”
Email Audrey
@audreyNZH
Audrey Young Audrey Young is the New Zealand Herald’s political editor.
TPP means ‘ugly compromises’
5:00 AM Saturday Oct 3, 2015
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Tim Groser says the negotiations are going round the clock. Photo / NZME
Tim Groser says the negotiations are going round the clock. Photo / NZME
Trade Minister Tim Groser says countries deeply immersed in TPP negotiations understand that dairy has to be resolved to New Zealand’s satisfaction before a deal can be done.
“At least people understand that this has got to be done and they can’t just ignore our small country because we are small,” he told the Weekend Herald.
He also extended a goodwill gesture to Labour, saying he respected the fact it had not taken a position on TPP and that was “perfectly rational”.
Mr Groser was speaking from Atlanta where ministers of the 12 countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership have extended their meeting for another 24 hours.
He said he had spoken to Prime Minister John Key in New York several times over the past few hours.
And I’ve got highly confidential but very clear political guidelines from the Prime Minister about what I should be doing.
Tim Groser
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He had a team of about 15 with him “working their proverbials off” around the clock and some of the key stakeholders such as the chairman of Fonterra, John Wilson and the chairman of Dairy Companies of New Zealand. He said it was an achievement to get dairy on the list of the final three issues that had to be dealt with because it was not there at the Maui ministerial meeting at the end of July.
“I felt under as intense pressure as I have ever felt in the last 30 years as a New Zealand negotiator because I felt completely and totally isolated,” he said. “Now everyone understands that New Zealand is not going to be pushed out of this negotiation and the issues that would push New Zealand out of this negotiation, which is dairy … this has got be solved in a way that New Zealand can live with.”
He said the negotiations were going around the clock and he was just about to try and get a couple of hours’ sleep until he was called for another session.
He said it was clear there was a “massive push” to do the deal.
“It’s got the smell of a situation we occasionally see which is that on the hardest core issues, there are some ugly compromises out there.
“And when we say ugly, we mean ugly from each perspective – it doesn’t mean ‘I’ve got to swallow a dead rat and you’re swallowing foie gras.’ It means both of us are swallowing dead rats on three or four issues to get this deal across the line.”
The outstanding issues are dairy, autos, and IP on pharmaceuticals, especially biologics – medicines made from organisms.
On the issue of Helen Clark’s comments about the TPP – she said it was unthinkable New Zealand wouldn’t be part of the deal – he said she had added a crucial rider – “provided the deal was good”.
And that was the same position the Government had.
“I think it has been extremely helpful in terms of uniting New Zealand that our former Prime Minister has said what she said.”
Mr Groser said he did not take Labour or its leadership for granted on TPP.
“They haven’t got a position on TPP and I fully respect that and if I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t have a position either because I would say ‘I don’t know what the deal is.’ That is a perfectly rational position to take.”
But as a point of general principle, what Helen Clark had said was the essential truth: “Provided we can deliver what makes sense from an overall New Zealand Inc perspective, it would be a nightmare for New Zealand to be excluded from it.”
If the deal is not done tomorrow, there will be one last chance, at Apec in the Philippines in November.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11522953
‘TPP on verge of breakthrough’
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11523161
As Gordon Campbell predicted.
A sad day for NZ people if this happens.
We won’t know whether it is a sad day, happy day or a meh day until the final deal is tabled.
We have been softened up for a shoddy deal that removes our sovereignty.
Sounds like you’re an apologist for the 0.001%.
🙄
Some education for those with rolling eyes.
Terrifying Paul. Of course if we were not signatories we could be crushed by the multinationals. Excluded from all and everything as retaliation for not being party to TPP. Rock and hard place?
So may people are unaware of this.
Please pass on to everyone you know.
Paul
If you look to the right of the screen (I make it about level with comment 3, but that may change), you will see that very graphic that you’ve posted (just above the accumulated Atmospheric CO2 graphic). The people who regularly visit this site are not the ones who may be unaware of this.
I get that you’re passionate about this, and it is a daunting problem requiring urgent action. But you are coming off as a bit too eager, which may be counterproductive.
Hmm graphic seems to have changed (was the accumulated energy one). Can’t edit now, so disregard previous comment. Though I still contend that discussing is better than proclaiming is a better way to get your point across.
How is encouraging people to pass on message about TPP too eager? By that definition, Jane Kelsey is too eager by far!
The Labour Party is equivocal about the TPP and is not communicating its dangers enough to the people of NZ.
Still a neoliberal party, sadly.
@ ianmac
The difference is, signing the deal will give multinationals the international legal authority, thus strengthening their ability too.
“Of course if we were not signatories we could be crushed by the multinationals. Excluded from all and everything as retaliation for not being party to TPP. Rock and hard place?”
Ianmac, can you please give some examples of why this would be a problem?
Latest TPP News
Froman, Robb Meet On IP Ahead Of CN Meeting, Ministerial Plenary
ATLANTA — U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb on Friday afternoon (Oct. 2) were holding a bilateral meeting to discuss the controversial issue of the exclusivity term for biologics drugs, in what could be a pivotal moment for whether a broader Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal comes together here.
Levin Says ‘May 10’ Applies To Biologics, Signals Opposition To ‘5+3’
ATLANTA — House Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) on Friday (Oct. 2) strongly signaled that he opposes the new U.S. proposal for an eight-year market exclusivity term for biologics drugs in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) because it goes beyond the so-called “May 10” agreement that he negotiated with the George W. Bush administration.
http://insidetrade.com/
Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich) is Ranking Member of the Committee on Ways and Means, which has sole jurisdiction over trade policy in the House.
On previous form its a shitty deal, and we won’t know how shitty for a while.
But north shore doc is too much of a sleepy hobbit to care.
As long as we get a panda.
Or change the flag.
Who cares about sovereignty!
I don’t think nsd is a sleep hobbit. I think he is aware of the issues but don’t think they are a concern. He’s not ignorant, he’s just comfortable with the globalisation agenda.
I’ve been fairly open about my position on the TPPA.
Succinctly I believe we should only enter an agreement if it offers good access for our key horticultural/agricultural exports into North America and Japan, I’m doubtful that it will hence i wouldn’t be in a hurry to sign up.
I’ve also read a lot of pap on the internet regarding loss of sovereignty and immediate privatisation of everything from healthcare through to water which is frankly drivel.
What do you think about Jane Kelsey’s work on this?
I think Jane’s done some sterling work but see comes from a different ideological perspective on trade than myself.
that’s pretty much what I meant above.
I’ve also read a lot of pap on the internet regarding loss of sovereignty and immediate privatisation of everything from healthcare through to water which is frankly drivel
Claiming to know it is drivel is an ironic position ?
Hardly.
Some of the comments have been ridiculous, such as suggesting we are going to no longer have a predominantly publicly funded healthcare or education system or that PHARMAC would cease to exist under an agreement that a NZ government would enter into are absurd.
northshoredoc:
Time you woke up to the fact that this is not a free trade deal that we are being asked to sign up to. Its a “rolling out of the red carpet” for offshore corporates to come in and wreck the country, its sovereignty and its economy for their own benefit.
This is not rocket science. Read the literature that is available, including the copious ‘writings on the wall(s)”.
🙄 instead of writing silly bombast Murray why don’t you offer concrete examples of how that will occur
ISDS provisions that remove a Government’s ability to legislate for the National interest with any provisions which conflict with foreign private corporate interest.
For example, re Nationalising banks, rail or power will be forever impossible. Pretty scary when you look at what corporations are doing in the US, over similar provisions between States.
Even our current support for Dairy would be considered outside the treaty provisions.
“for example, re Nationalising banks, rail or power will be forever impossible.”
Excellent.
Hope you like paying the power bills, when they are all owned by one US utilities corporation..
How much of a rise since Bradford, again.
The reality disconnect on the right wing is now almost total.
Fucklands is master of his own destiny, so no misfortune will ever befall him.
A conceit common amongst tories.
re Nationalising banks, rail or power will be forever impossible..
Rubbish – and S Rylands can choke on it – you just have to decide whether to compensate for losses or withdraw from the TPPA.
Actually re-nationalising things would be the least impacted by the new rules. Labour re-nationalised kiwirail by buying it – and apparently paying way too much in the process. Corporates would be fine with the asset being bought fair and square for more than it’s market value.
Worth reading, dated 2 Oct 2015 from Stiglitz and Hersh
“For starters, consider what the agreement would do to expand intellectual property rights for big pharmaceutical companies, as we learned from leaked versions of the negotiating text. Economic research clearly shows the argument that such intellectual property rights promote research to be weak at best. In fact, there is evidence to the contrary: When the Supreme Court invalidated Myriad’s patent on the BRCA gene, it led to a burst of innovation that resulted in better tests at lower costs. Indeed, provisions in the TPP would restrain open competition and raise prices for consumers in the US and around the world – anathema to free trade.”
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trans-pacific-partnership-charade-by-joseph-e–stiglitz-and-adam-s–hersh-2015-10#KuP0YYzqc5LgOZ7M.01
TTP is anti free trade in crucial areas.
That’s been obvious for awhile. In fact, patents are actually there to prevent competition and thus they must decrease innovation. And when you look at these types of results we can see that cooperation would lead to even more innovation but it would prevent a few people becoming rich. Of course, it’s not the people doing the innovation that are becoming rich but the shareholders in the corporations.
“We won’t know whether it is a sad day, happy day or a meh day until the final deal is tabled.”
That this kind of trade deal can be done in secret without telling the people makes it a sad day irrespective of what the final deal is.
Exactly.
If the deal is so important that it is “unthinkable” that New Zealand should not be in it then it should also be “unthinkable” that the people should be left completely uninformed about it. In a democracy highly important matters are supposedly decided by an informed citizenry.
Or are we not a democracy but simply a state ruled by a paternalistic elite who are so sure that they know what is best for us – and are so scared of our ‘ignorance’ – that they ensure we, ‘the people’, play no part in forming our social and economic destiny?
All elites through history have shown, by their egregious behaviour if not by their oh-so-patronising utterances, that they disdain the capacities of ‘the masses’ to rule themselves.
It is no different now.
+1
The actions of the governments over the TPPA are the actions of dictators.
While I never liked Clark she has this dead right. We elect governments to negotiate ongoing development of free trade. The FTAs were her great achievement. The idea that you could do this publicly is absurd.
Hopefully the TPPA is the dawn of a new era of globalisation.
The idea that you could do this publicly is absurd.
Translation: add integrative negotiation to the list of things of which S Rylands is utterly ignorant.
‘Publically’ and total secrecy are two ends of a long continuum. There has been no official information provided over these negotiations – apart from vacuous comments about how ‘well’ it was going.
Groser can practically smell that knighthood now.
lets hope the sword slips
To be fair, knighthoods and damehoods are generally pretty smelly things – probably ‘whiffable’ from quite some distance.
There are, of course, exceptions to that rule in order to keep the general practice acceptable in the public mind (e.g., Sir Ed Hillary, etc.).
Hillary’s knighthoods, both of them, were of course awarded by the Brits, and had nothing at all to do with New Zealand.
That will probably make them more palatable to Anglophiles such as the commenters on this blog.
Interesting facts about Hillary’s knighthoods though I’m not sure what relevance they have for the point I was making.
@ Tautoko Mangō Mata re-…”On the issue of Helen Clark’s comments about the TPP”…
Helen Clark misrepresented !
‘BREAKING: Helen Clark misrepresented on TPPA & why Groser is now sucking up to Labour’
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/10/03/breaking-helen-clark-misrepresented-on-tppa-why-groser-is-now-sucking-up-to-labour/
( why doesn’t this surprise me ?!…the jonkley nacts are desperate creeps)
Labour had better NOT compromise with them!
Chooky
When I saw the byline; Claire Trevett in New York, I suspected something similar in the line of selective quotation. Good to have that confirmed.
Labour would be fools to compromise with the TPPA. Clear resistance to this is a major point of policy difference with NAct.
I think that Audrey Young was trying to address that misrepresentation in her article I linked to above when she wrote :
“On the issue of Helen Clark’s comments about the TPP – she said it was unthinkable New Zealand wouldn’t be part of the deal – he said she had added a crucial rider – “provided the deal was good”.
Australia’s Trade Minister, Andrew Robb says “I came to lower protection so I get frustrated if we are talking about increasing protection in the case of biologics or see no reduction in other areas,” Mr Robb told the newspaper in Atlanta. “Something has to give.”
This is NOT a FREE TRADE Agreement.
I too want to see Labour NOT compromising. TPPA No Way is my bottom line while ISDS included.
I think that posturing politicians from countries dealing with TPPA feel that their personal stature and manhood is on the line. Are they up to this tough bargaining or are they wooses? What they are bargaining away doesn’t matter it is the winning a point that gives them a buzz.
That sort of attitude is no doubt behind Oz Trade Minister Andrew Robb. Thinking of infamous Rolf Harris, his song about the man supported on three points comes to mind. Nickname for Robb – ‘Jake the Peg, with a wooden leg’?
When Groser utters “ugly compromises” he really means “ugly sacrifices”; the choice of words is, as always, very important and one needs to pay special attention to the spin that comes from our Government and that is so helpfully (!) spread through and by our MSM as we all know all too well.
Groser has also been quoted saying “… it would be a nightmare for New Zealand to be excluded from it.” This emotive and scaremongering statement offers no relevant information whatsoever either.
As with any (important) decision one needs to look at all aspects and examine the consequences of going ahead as well as of not going ahead – not making a decision is still making a decision. The fact that this either involves “ugly compromises” – that are unnamed – or “a nightmare for New Zealand” – also unspecified – should raise alarm bells with any rational person.
Please note the focus – the focus of the MSM and therefore our focus – has been directed and drawn to the issues dairy, autos, and IP on pharmaceuticals. No word on all the other areas that are possibly even more far-reaching so we have to assume that these ‘dead rats’ have already been stuffed down our throats well and truly.
BTW, IMO the ‘average Kiwi’ has very little understanding of and thus very little interest in IP on biologics and other ‘technicalities’ that are covered in the putative TPPA.
This comment is already getting too long but I’d like to mention a nice recent article in the Washington Post Why do drug companies charge so much? Because they can.
Well there has been another massacre by another lone gunman in the USA.
I’m sorry but but this type of event is no longer news for me: it’s a incredibly sad commentary. The news would be if something, other than further relaxing gun laws, was done.
The other side of the story:
Mideast alliances
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/317348-is-syria-russia-us/
“Russia has made good on its commitment to start fighting Islamic State in Syria from the air. Russia is also establishing a coalition to protect the legal government in Damascus. This has caused an uproar in Washington. Can the Kremlin and the White House fight terrorists in tandem? CrossTalking with Patrick Henningsen, James Carafano, and Marwa Osman.”
And why no mention of Saudi’s crimes in Yemen, Mr Key?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/us-yemen-rights-idUSKCN0RW1ES20151002
Of the over 500 candidates at the last election, maybe only 5 would have spoken about the impossibility of kiwi Saver surviving more than a few more years.
Politicians are a byproduct of an ignorant dumb down populace, we get what we deserve.
And 3 replies with no link yet ?
[Moved here for being way off topic.] – Bill
OPEN LETTER TO JOSIE PAGANI
Saturday 3 October 2015
Dear Josie Pagani,
Two and a half weeks ago on this forum, I asked you to answer two questions:
1.) In the light of your support for the destruction of Afghanistan, do you support the invasion of the United States and Great Britain, the bombing and obliteration of British and American schools, hospitals, power stations and churches, and the killing of hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of American and British civilians?
2.) Can you explain your statement that Hezbollah and Hamas are anti-Semitic?
Could you please answer them?
Can you explain your statement that Hezbollah and Hamas are anti-Semitic?
Will mainstream ever allow open discussion about Semitic people and their origins ?
That ‘antisemitism’ became terminology which could perversely be levered against those who have Semitic DNA, is testament to the level of control held over communication, language and its primary forms
+1
“That ‘antisemitism’ became terminology”….
It didn’t become terminology. It became a definition which has nothing to do with DNA. In its simplest form Antisemitism means hatred of Jews. It doesn’t mean hatred of Semites.
It’s perhaps an unfortunate use of a word but that’s not exactly uncommon, a great many legal definitions don’t match the description of the word(s) used either.
It’s perhaps an unfortunate use of a word but that’s not exactly uncommon, a great many legal definitions don’t match the description of the word(s) used either
Legal ‘definitions’, are deliberate
The Chris Brown hypocrisy
We gave Bill Clinton a state reception and lionized him. Next to Clinton, Chris Brown is Albert Schweitzer.
Kim Hill laughed that comment off on Saturday this morning.
I sent her this
—–Original Message—–
From: Robert [mailto:p………………….
Sent: Saturday, 3 October 2015 11:14 a.m.
To: Saturday
Subject: Bill Clinton
Come on Kim you know Clinton oversaw the death of 500,000 Iraqi children, not to mention Waco ??
But don’t tell the truth.
Robert Atack
Thanks, Robert! You’re a champion.
More TPPA new- from Canada
“NDP government would not adhere to a TPP deal, Mulcair says in letter”
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair is serving notice that a New Democratic Party government would not consider itself bound by the terms of a major Pacific Rim trade deal which the ruling Conservatives are negotiating right now in Atlanta.
He says the Conservative government has no mandate to agree to the big changes that a Trans-Pacific Partnership deal would bring about.
The NDP Leader’s announcement is well timed in that it comes as a TPP deal appears increasingly likely to be reached shortly by the 12 Pacific Rim countries including Canada which are gathered in Atlanta.
The bombshell declaration on Friday promises to make the massive trade agreement a bigger factor in Canada’s 42nd federal election, which is two and a half weeks away. It comes as polls suggest the NDP has dropped to third place in the national race.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ndp-government-would-not-adhere-to-a-tpp-deal-mulcair-says-in-letter/article26631467/
That is the news of the year Tautoko. Thanks for putting up – everybody should note.
Interesting that the only people who want the TPP are those in power.
Where we are, and where we are heading, using all the modern day apps and the internet, via smart phone, tablets, laptops or whatever. This ‘News Hour Extra’ program offered by the BBC World Service (from yesterday) offers some insight.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p033l4k6#play
I am very concerned how so many blindly trust the technology we almost all use daily now, the future looks more Orwellian than I ever dreaded to think before.
Indigenous woman speaks truth to sociopaths and refuses them entry onto ancestral lands to frack. Sociopath speaks with forked tongue.
“I’m not protesting, I’m not demonstrating, I’m occupying our homelands”
“Meaningful consultation and consent is when you’ve sat down and got our permission and you’ve never done that”.
“You’re pushing, pushing for all that money, but you’re not going to be able to eat that money. You have all that money in your bank account and you’re destroying the planet”
Auckland property is not driven by overseas buyers,
Yet “Chinese property investors are rapidly disappearing from the auction room, says the boss of Auckland’s biggest real estate agency”
And “Thompson did not believe the drop off was related to the Labour-sparked row over foreign ownership and predicted Chinese investors would return to the market within the next couple of months.”
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11519706
id this the same man who only a few months was quoted as saying
Barfoot & Thompson chief Peter Thompson acknowledged that there were many Chinese buyers but disagreed with Labour’s analysis.
“We know there’s been a large portion of Asians buying property but there’s no way to tell if they’re one of three categories: NZ born, foreign-born NZ citizens or foreign-born foreign citizens. If you asked me about Asian non-residents, I’d probably say between 5 and 8 per cent.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11478719
Funny how in just over 2 months mr Thompson can now say that the lack of these buyers IS now affecting the market 😜
Who is the more violent and despicable character: Bill Clinton or Chris Brown?
It’s a no-brainer, of course, but for some reason Kim Hill seems confused.
Radio NZ National, Saturday 3 October 2015
During her interview this morning with the chattery writer and “theatre-maker” Stella Duffy, Kim Hill brought up the vexed question of our brave and principled government’s refusal to let Chris Brown into New Zealand. Both of them seemed to think this little exercise in highly selective morality was acceptable. I sent Kim the following email….
The Chris Brown hypocrisy
Dear Kim,
We gave Bill Clinton a state reception and lionized him. Next to Clinton, Chris Brown is Albert Schweitzer.
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
After the 11 o’clock news, Kim Hill read out my email and then replied on air: “D’ya think, Morrissey? When did Bill Clinton whack a woman, or anybody else?”
As she spoke, her voice took on a hard-edged and imperious tone, to underline how irritated she was at my impugning of the reputation of the saintly former president.
I replied thusly….
Dear Kim,
While Clinton’s predatory behaviour toward women is notorious and well documented, he has not to my knowledge ever “whacked” a woman. So, in that respect, he has the advantage over Chris Brown.
However, Chris Brown was not involved in the bombing of pharmaceutical plants and television stations; neither did he preside over a “sanctions” regime that led to the deaths of more than half a million Iraqi children.
And Chris Brown did not write in apparent high seriousness that unarmed Palestinian protestors executed by the IDF were “killed in crossfire”.
So, yes, Chris Brown hit at least one woman, and his rap lyrics are despicable, but there is simply no comparison between him and a major criminal like Bill Clinton.
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Good point.
There was a certain tone of derision in Kim’s voice.
Think she didn’t realise the crimes Clinton committed.
He’s the equivalent of Tony Balir in the UK.
—–Original Message—–
From: Robert [mailto:pet
Sent: Saturday, 3 October 2015 11:14 a.m.
To: Saturday
Subject: Bill Clinton
Come on Kim you now Clinton oversaw the death of 500,000 Iraqi children, not to mention Waco ??
But don’t tell the truth.
Robert Atack
Think she didn’t realise the crimes Clinton committed.
She knows perfectly well, actually.
It seems to be part and parcel of the framing – national ‘leaders’ crimes just aren’t remarked upon no matter how much damage has been done.
Latest TPP News
TPP Countries Set Deadlines For Final Tariff, NCM Offers; Plenary Pushed Back
ATLANTA — Amid an intense push to complete the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), negotiators have set deadlines for final offers on tariffs and non-conforming measures of 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., respectively, on Saturday (Oct. 3), according to informed sources.
http://insidetrade.com/ paywalled
@ Morrisey – lets not also forget the thousands of women financially brutalised by Bill Clinton’s welfare reforms…
Peters hits back at Helen Clark’s TPP comment
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11522701
5am tomorrow. The first day of the rest of our lives. When we will be financially crippled by the high prices TPP will bring.
Which high prices are these ?
I think Millsy is referring to the the fact that should the exclusivity term for biological drugs be increased in the TPPA, then the resultant increased medical costs over the years will put a big strain on our health budget. Here is an excerpt from
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/health360/posts/2015/05/19-trans-pacific-partnership-prescription-drugs
“How would the TPP affect data exclusivity?”
“For the 11 countries besides the U.S. that are involved in the TPP, current data exclusivity protections range from zero (Brunei) to eight years (Japan). Under the Obama Administration’s current proposal, participating countries would increase those periods to match the US standard of 12 years.
Curiously, this proposal directly contradicts the administration’s ongoing domestic efforts to lower the period of data exclusivity. Since the ACA passed, the Obama administration has repeatedly proposed reducing it to seven, arguing that this would save Medicare $4.4 billion over the next decade. Some have noted that, once the 12-year period is enshrined in the TPP, it will become significantly more difficult to change it through the US legislative process.
Furthermore, imposing US standards on the 11 member countries would inevitably restrict competition at the global level, and many patient advocacy and international humanitarian organizations have argued that doing so would undermine the efforts of US global health initiatives like the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which rely on price competition to manage program costs.”
The latest publicised offer was 5+3 = 8 years (reduced from the 12 in the article.
Sigh, this has been discussed on this blog a number of times now.
Firstly the biological drugs make up a small percentage of the medicines that are used, secondly the biological medicines that are currently funded by PHARMAC are contracted and the prices will not change, thirdly whether the eight years of data exclusivity will impact on the patents, thirdly funding or availability of any of the new medicines that haven’t yet got to NZ is open to debate, but on PHARMAC’s previous success rate in getting these medicines at a very good deal even when under patent I’m not overly concerned.
Again, I believe the biggest issue will be access for our agricultural/horticultural products into North America and Japan which I would be amazed if there’s anything worthwhile.
@northshoredoc I have been under the impression that biological drugs would be used increasingly in the future but I am prepared to be proven wrong. I agree with your view on the minimal access improvements however.
The most commonly used biologic is GE insulin, followed by the TNFs and certain cancer meds we have excellent access to insulin at present and to TNFs both at very competitive prices despite in the case of TNFs still being under patent.
Access to cancer biologics could be better but the current prices preclude them being easily available.
“I believe”
We’re trying to deal with facts, not your blind faith.
😆
Right and/or wrong, NSD’s opinion is clearly based on facts.
Read the links provided
“5am tomorrow. The first day of the rest of our lives. When we will be financially crippled by the high prices TPP will bring.”
Chicken little you really should give up the magic mushrooms.
You need to talk to the doc.
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trans-pacific-partnership-charade-by-joseph-e–stiglitz-and-adam-s–hersh-2015-10#KuP0YYzqc5LgOZ7M.01
Given the veil of secrecy surrounding the TPP negotiations, it is not clear whether tobacco will be excluded from some aspects of ISDS. Either way, the broader issue remains: Such provisions make it hard for governments to conduct their basic functions – protecting their citizens’ health and safety, ensuring economic stability, and safeguarding the environment.
Imagine what would have happened if these provisions had been in place when the lethal effects of asbestos were discovered. Rather than shutting down manufacturers and forcing them to compensate those who had been harmed, under ISDS, governments would have had to pay the manufacturers not to kill their citizens. Taxpayers would have been hit twice – first to pay for the health damage caused by asbestos, and then to compensate manufacturers for their lost profits when the government stepped in to regulate a dangerous product.
It should surprise no one that America’s international agreements produce managed rather than free trade. That is what happens when the policymaking process is closed to non-business stakeholders – not to mention the people’s elected representatives in Congress.
An interesting aside – there has been talk and action taken to exclude high sugar drinks from being sold in hospitals around the country, and perhaps in taxing these drinks, like tobacco, to make them less palatable to the general public. Under the ISDS provisions of TPPA, who’d put money against the idea of Cocoa Cola or Pepsi taking our government to an overseas judicial process to – a) get any legislation reversed or b) to claim compensation for restraint of trade?
Your scenario is hypothetical. The New Zealand Government has ruled out such a tax. But that aside, it is no bad thing to have an international judiciary enforcing free trade. You should applaud it.
The tax on tobacco in New Zealand simply hurts the poor, including the children of the poor. Uneducated people smoke more. They also have lower incomes. When I see fat people and their fat kids at the supermarket buying 12 litres of coke, they don’t look too bright or wealthy. Why penalise them more by taxing them?
…judiciary…
Is that what you’ve convinced yourself it is? Or are you aware of the differences between ISDS and a justice system and lying anyway?
Why penalise them more by taxing them?
On the one hand S Rylands loves market signals, and on the other, S Rylands hates market signals.
It’s almost as though S Rylands has a career inventing glib gibberish or something.
You can’t enforce free-trade – if you did then it wouldn’t be free-trade.
And it’s not a judiciary – it’s a very small clique of corporate lawyers getting paid to screw over entire countries.
Latest TPP News
Guajardo Hopeful Of Deal After Australia, U.S. Report IP Progress At Plenary
ATLANTA – Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal here on Friday evening (Oct. 2) expressed hope that a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal can be reached by Saturday, but said the United States and Australia were still working to overcome the key hurdle of the monopoly period for biologic drugs.
NDP Leader Says Harper TPP Deal Not Binding On New Government
Tom Mulcair, the leader of Canada’s New Democrat Party (NDP), on Friday (Oct. 2) warned that any new government he may form if he wins the Oct. 19 federal election will not consider itself bound by a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal that that current Prime Minister Stephen Harper may strike before then.
http://insidetrade.com/
Thanks very much for the ongoing updates. The situation is very much worrying me but have a lot of other things to do at present which prevent me from researching myself. So, really appreciate your comments here with useful links.
Is there anybody out there who can help me – we don’t have a Sky subscription and are missing some of the key games of the RWC – we did manage to get BBC Wales on the internet the other day and listened to a wonderful live radio commentary on the Wales/England game and are now trying to find a TV/radio station in the UK who may give a radio commentary live on the England/Australia game tomorrow – so far we are having no luck cruising through the UK TV/Radio stations – is there a geek out there who can help us – my partner is pretty good at finding stuff on the net – I think NZ are mean as hell not putting on free to air TV or even radio for that matter, games which are crucial or just going to be down to the wire games in the competition for folk who, for reasons of their own, don’t want the crap Sky puts on and hate the way they deny us the fun of seeing some of the more important games. Not everybody wants to go to a pub and try to watch the game through the noise etc.
As an aside the AB’s are looking sluggish and flat – and, other than Argentina haven’t even had a real top side to slug it out with – fun and games ahead.
download hola from http://www.hola.org
open hola, click on the itv icon which takes you to http://www.itv.co.uk – watch every game live.
Thanks Nadis – just logged on – 25 minutes to go for the England/Australia game – my partner and I will endeavour to to download hola – I knew there would be somewhere out there in the ether who would come to our assistance. Enjoy the game.
Back again Nadis – thanks so much, mission accomplished, the geek in my household got us on line and the two of us sat back and watched the game – the English coach looked sick as a dog at the end, can’t help but feel sorry for the team – with the Australian kicker I think Dan Carter might not feel so good either – Foley I think his name was – my can he kick goals. I knew somebody out there would help us!!! Enjoy the rest of the tournament – I know we will.
Hmmmmm could be all over for the AB’s tho
http://eveningharold.com/2015/09/30/typing-error-means-all-blacks-will-perform-pre-game-haiku/
However:
I am an All-Black,
That much is self-evident,
What is a haiku?
I think you know 🙂
Professor Dame Sally Davies has a plan…..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3258092/Put-fat-tax-flying-Britain-s-doctor-provokes-fury-outrageous-plan-make-obese-pay-plane-tickets.html
Please…..the Daily Mail is not a reliable source.
It is hate speech.
Professor Dame Sally Davies has a prejudice (and a professionally ignorant one at that).
fify.
Samoa Air are already selling tickets based on the combined weight of the passenger and their luggage. Sounds fair to me.
I’m sure it does. But I’m also fairly sure that you don’t understand the various complexities that lead to some people being larger than others, and that your sense of fairness is also based on prejudice (how is it fair for a smaller boned, short person to pay less for travel than a larger boned, tall person?).
While it might be “fair” that someone who requires more av-gas to transport them pays more, I expect the extra effort required to implement such a Naki-system would be uber-stupid.
That system is done for every trademe parcel sent through the post. Honestly, its not that much effort.
Yes, because passengers are exactly the same as parcels.
🙄
“That system is done for every trademe parcel sent through the post. Honestly, its not that much effort.”
Except that NZPost changed their system a few years ago to volumetric so now it’s laborious and complicated. Plus, isn’t it NZPost that’s bleeding profit because it does stupid shit like this? Not a good example.
“(how is it fair for a smaller boned, short person to pay less for travel than a larger boned, tall person?).”
It costs the airline more in fuel to carry bigger people.
So it is fair that they pay more for their flight
stock units.
Yes, it’s “fair”, and uber-stupid. Anyone with half a brain would think to themselves about how the booking system would work and how the check-in procedure would have to change, and conclude that only a right wing nut job could be responsible for such stupidity.
It is rational. How childish to refer to anyone as a “nut job”!
It’s a signal from the market: right wing policy shills make terrible economic decisions, and you can make a buck concealing their incompetence, S Rylands.
A couple of twitter feeds from Atlanta TPP talks for anyone interested.
1. Burcu Kilic@burcuno
Patent geek, digital rights advocate, IP scholar, lawyer, globetrotter and wannabe photographer; Public Citizen’s Global Access to Medicines Program
https://twitter.com/burcuno?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
2. A trade Reporter, Doug Palmer- has photos of the meetings
https://twitter.com/tradereporter?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Doug Palmer (@tradereporter0
From newstalk zb
“Recent comments made by Trade Minister Tim Groser have concerned the Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Ian Powell.
“Well when Tim Groser as trade minister began talking about having to swallow a dead rat and knowing that medicines is still one of the big contentious issues still outstanding in the trade negotiations, we became extremely alarmed.”
He says leaked documents show the Government hasn’t done enough to protect the cost of our medicines.”
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/medical-specialists-extremely-concerned-about-tpp-risk-to-health-system/
Shameless State Department propaganda masquerading as news;
Poor old Simon Shepherd doesn’t even bat an eyelid as he reads the tripe he’s handed.
TV3 News, Saturday 3 October 2015
They try to maintain those poker faces, but occasionally television news readers will register their discomfort at having to read out some offensive or ludicrous item. Last year, at the height of the Gaza massacre, Peter Williams grimaced and looked unhappy after reading out a piece of low propaganda that might have been written by someone at the Israeli consulate. At other times, Simon Dallow, Hillary Barry, Wendy Petrie and even Susan Wood have frowned, averted their eyes or paused meaningfully to indicate what they think of their scripts. I’ve even seen newsreaders from that cartoonishly bad Murdoch outlet Fox News blanch at some of the crap they’re expected to read.
However, I have never seen any such redeeming signs of conscience from TV3’s owlish, ineffably pompous Simon Shepherd. He doesn’t seem to have a skeptical bone in his body. Nothing fazes him, apparently—not even the preposterous State Department talking points (i.e., lies) he was handed to read out this evening.
At 6:20 p.m. Shepherd furrowed his brow, narrowed his eyes, pursed his lips and attempted to look REALLY serious….
SIMON SHEPHERD: [speaking in an ominous tone, summoning up all the gravitas he can manage] President Putin says he’s bombing ISIL targets but, as ITV’s Jack Fisher reports, NOBODY believes him….
It turns out that “ITV’s Jack Fisher” is trying even harder than Simon Shepherd to show how serious he is—unfortunately for his viewers, however, he’s not serious about being a journalist.
What Fisher is serious about is parroting the official talking points of the Obama regime. He speaks gravely of “President Obama’s DAMNING assessment of Russia’s actions”, before cutting to a ludicrously brief edited comment from Dr. Domitilla Sagramoso of Kings College London. The purpose of showing Dr Sagramoso has nothing to do with analysis; rather, it is to provide at least the appearance of authority to what even the hapless slaves at ITV will know perfectly well is nothing more than a crude piece of propaganda. After Dr Sagramoso’s eight seconds of input, it’s back to Jack Fisher for the almost comically ironic peroration, once again in that faux sérieux style…
JACK FISHER, ITV: [sombrely, to convey how serious he is] People will remember Russia’s protracted wars in Chechnya and Afghanistan and wonder: WHERE will it all end?”
Then it’s back to Simon Shepherd, still trying to look as though he’s serious.
….ad nauseam….
TPPA update! Seen this?
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
Source: Professor Jane Kelsey.
Professor Jane Kelsey.
‘We are told they may be close to reaching a final deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in Atlanta, and longer monopolies for Big Pharma over biologic medicines is the final sticking point’, according to Professor Jane Kelsey, who is in touch with people on the ground in Atlanta.
The US is insisting on eight years total monopoly protection. Several countries are holding firm. But there are real fears New Zealand could cave.
Trade Minister Tim Groser.
Trade Minister Groser is quoted in this morning’s Herald as saying every country will have to swallow multiple dead rats to finalise the deal in an ‘ugly compromise’.
‘In New Zealand’s case, the dead rat seems to be a dairy for medicines deal’, said Professor Kelsey. ‘If this happens, we can expect the Minister to hail the “net benefits” of the TPPA to New Zealand, playing up supposed gains to dairy exports that remain to be seen, and playing down New Zealand’s agreement to longer monopoly protection for biologics.’
‘But the stark reality is that any such deal to close the TPPA would cost New Zealander’s lives.’
Health economists calculate that every added year of protection for biologics would cost New Zealand many tens of millions of dollars in current spending, and much more in the future as more biologics come on stream.
‘Future New Zealand governments would have to stump up hundreds of millions of dollars more to Pharmac.
Yet this year the National government refused to fund even the modest budget increase Pharmac sought to meet rising costs.’
‘Cancer sufferers in Atlanta described the biologics provision as a “death sentence clause”.
Do Prime Minister Key and Minister Groser want that recorded as their legacy?’
– See more at: http://foreignaffairs.co.nz/2015/10/03/jane-kelsey-grosers-ugly-compromise-in-tppa-could-cost-new-zealanders-lives/#.dpuf
Hmmm,…LOL
4 October 2015 – FYI
Please be advised that the following correspondence has just been emailed (together with scanned copies of signed petition sheets) to PM John Key:
________________________________________________________________________________
3 October 2015
URGENT! Attention NZ Prime Minister John Key!
Scanned petition forms re: TPPA
Prime Minister
John Key
Please be advised that attached are nearly 300 signatures of people who have signed the following petition:
“To Prime Minister John Key
MP for Helensville
We, the undersigned:
Are deeply concerned that as a key advocate for the ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), you are a shareholder in the Bank of America, as detailed in the 2015 MPs Register of Financial Interests
(Pg 29)
( http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/mpp/mps/fin-interests/00CLOOCMPPFinInterests20151/register-of-pecuniary-and-other-specified-interests-of )
“Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)
2 Other companies and business entities
……………………………………………………….
Bank of America – banking”
We see this as a serious ‘conflict of interest’, given that big banks like the Bank of America, stand to benefit, and profit from this pro-corporate TPPA.
If this National Government, which you lead, does not ‘walk away’ from the secretive, undemocratic, ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement’ (TPPA), then we pledge to campaign vigorously amongst our friends, families, neighbours and workmates, for the voting public to ‘walk away’ from National.”
______________________________________________________________
Please be advised that this is just the start.
Increasing numbers of the voting public are becoming aware of your shareholding in the Bank of America, and are wondering just whose ‘national interest’ are you serving?
The ‘national (public) interest’ of New Zealand, or the ‘national (corporate) interest’ of the United States of America?
If the Bank of America benefits from the TPPA – then how will this not serve your personal self-interest. as a shareholder in the Bank of America?
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
Member Auckland TPPA ‘Call to action’
(ENDS)
______________________________________________________________
………
PS: Here is a new, VERY revealing clip from Wikileaks:
WikiLeaks – The US strategy to create a new global legal and economic system: TPP, TTIP, TISA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw7P0RGZQxQ
TPP update
Burcu Kilic @burcuno 13m13 minutes ago
Biologics is now the only potential deal-breaker, #TPP Ministerial may be extended again. Stay strong Australia, Chile, Peru & Malaysia!
Great summary of US-Australia fight over biologics
http://www.afr.com/news/economy/trade/australia-and-us-battle-over-ip-rights-for-top-selling-drugs-20151002-gjzol2?stb=twt
Latest TPP News
TPP Ministerial May Be Extended Again As U.S., Australia Still At Odds On Biologics
ATLANTA – Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries are on the verge of extending the ministerial meeting here at least into Saturday evening (Oct. 3), after the United States and Australia overnight were unable to reach a deal on the monopoly protection period for biologics drugs, according to informed sources.
http://insidetrade.com/
Also US generic drugmakers body urges USTR to adhere to spirit of TPP accord signed in May
The GPhA says it shares the health cost concerns of the current administration and strongly agrees in principle with proposed exclusivity reductions – extending monopolies on biologic medicines is simply not sustainable.
http://www.thepharmaletter.com/article/us-generic-drugmakers-body-urges-ustr-to-adhere-to-spirit-of-tpp-agreement-signed-in-may
https://twitter.com/simenon for constant update on TPP battle (in Spanish)
An absolute must read about biologics and the TPP. Why has Tim Groser folded on this fight? You need to read the whole article because it is excellent. It is outrageous that US are pushing this extension. Greed!
Is TPP the Most Progressive Trade Agreement in History? Not If You Need Access to Affordable Medicines
The May 10th Agreement struck the right balance between the need to promote innovation and the need to protect public health. TPP must meet the standards set in the May 10th Agreement. Right now it does not. It should not be loaded up with new anticompetitive provisions when governments struggle to manage health care costs.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-sander-/is-tpp-the-most-progressive-trade-agreement-in-history-_b_7461734.html
Richard Madan @RichardMadan 8m8 minutes ago
The 12 trade ministers just agreed to stay longer in Atlanta if required; unlikely #TPP deal will be signed today at this point #cdnpoli
Any word on dairy access?
Only this
chard Madan @RichardMadan 22h22 hours ago
Trade Min @HonEdFast: Canada “pushing back” against efforts to open up dairy industry to foreign competition #TPP
I think that US are not letting the dairy be sorted until the biological dead rat is swallowed.
“Australia, along with others such as New Zealand and Chile, have been unwilling to offer more than five years protection for the medicines since longer terms will push up the cost of state-subsidized medical programs.
The impasse is holding up a deal on dairy trade, the main other sticking point in the talks”.
http://au.investing.com/news/commodities-news/pacific-trade-talks-bogged-down-over-pharmaceuticals-9335