Further meetings about the TPPA were held around the country on the weekend. More actions are being held this week in Christchurch and Wellington (see below).
First, some commentary from the meetings on the weekend,
… there are more similar agreements in the pipeline (RCP with Asian countries; the re-working of the China FTA; the deal with the EU; one with Sth and central American countries)
submit to the NZ select committee after the agreement is signed in Chile on March 8 – when some of the contents will be published – say “no” to re-activating the clauses put on hold – the US will try to revive them
say “no” to ISDS clauses in any future agreements
there is no protection against being sued by corporates for climate change measures; Treaty-related legislation; legislation for better workers’ rights; health care legislation, etc, etc
… I estimate there were around 300+ people there.
I also recall going to some anti-TPPA demos in Auckland in recent years where the turnout was small. the big demo came in more recent years.
We are in a re-grouping phase. Kelsey praised us for what has been achieved – delaying the TPPA for several years, for example, and the big demos. The message to us was to continue to hold the line
You can sign the petition at dontdoit.nz, they want 5,000 signatures before the signing day on the 8th. They currently have 4,650.
Far fewer people turned out at the anti CPTPP rally today than those when National was in power. It’s essentially still the same deal that @jacindaardern called ‘a dog’ when in Opposition. If you don’t believe the @nzlabour spin, sign this: https://t.co/CmqgRZl2mfpic.twitter.com/54Wq1abkeA
The text of the TPP hasn't significantly changed, and all the problems with it that existed when National wanted it are still there, yet Labour is going to push it through. Let them know they're wrong, sign and if you're in Welly, march on thursday at noon. https://t.co/B5vP6I5Amg
“The results overwhelming show the public support for the government to take a second, independent, look at the agreement before they sign us up to a deal which could restrict the ability of our government to make laws in the public interest” says ActionStation spokesperson Rick Zwaan.
Mikey Brenndorfer – speaking on the health analysis:
Moana Maniapoto – speaking on holding the lines, and Te Tiriti, and independent analysis:
Bryan Bruce – speaking on the implications of the TPPA and similar trade deals, and on why trickle down theory doesn’t work internationally either:
Tell me again how free trade works?
Laila Harre – speaking on holding the lines and labour rights:
Jane Kelsey – speaking on the spin, current state of play and actions needed moving forward:
Last week Christchurch group Our Children’s Futurelocked themselves to train tracks to protest the TPPA,
Background to the week of action, and the state of play regarding the TPPA, is at It’s Our Future.
On Thursday the 8th of March (signing day), we invite you to join us outside of Parliament at lunchtime to send a strong resounding message to the government that we do not want the TPPA or any similar trade deals in the future. It’s our future – the future of our children, we want truly progressive trade deals!
Our Nationwide Day of Action has morphed into a Nationwide Week of Action
It's not weakening our sovereignty, it's streamlining it. Right-sizing our democracy for late capitalism. Look at being sued by multinationals as an opportunity, not a challenge
We demonstrably do have a liar ( in fact two) in power, as to fetishist, who know’s and regardless – what people do in their own time is their business.
No , no ,… no,… I’m afraid your confusing this govt with the last poor excuse for one that was recently ousted…
As for the TTPA 2… well,… yes its time to roll up ones sleeves and put the ultimatum , – we don’t want it , -and if you want to stay on side with the people of this country , – DON’T DO IT !!!
Got a few things to do this arvy but will be signing.
As for lies, if you actually followed what I said during the campaign, I attacked labour for their economic policy over and over. So really your comments about lies, stunned mullet is ideological, and just not correct. .
I was disappointed when National failed to get back in but that blows been softened considerably by Labours many about faces since they’ve been in power
Sure I would have preferred National but National-lite is ok with me
No , it means they have not truly comprehended the public outcry and the ensuing outcome and fate that the last dictatorial government suffered partially because of it ,…
RNZ coverage of TPP protests – YouTube
john campbell coverage of TPPA protests youtube▶ 2:26:32
Yes indeed, however , the last protests were an indication of public feeling then , – and the way it is was being rammed through… the latest rounds may just be an eye opener.
I think you’re being a little uncharitable there. There is a phenomenon where some people don’t care about things they thought were bad if “their team” now supports them. It is one of the bad things about our lot getting into government. I’d say that and uncritically buying the Labour line about how they “improved” the deal is why opposition to (CPA)TPP is so much quieter atm.
natural ebbs and flows too. Some people will be feeling like it’s a done deal so what is the point of protesting. I like the regrouping message from the organisers.
I think that’s the value in continued protests even if they are just small (and yet backed by the 75% poll). It keeps the issue on the agenda, and allows those deeper conversations to happen.
Trick now is, what direction do we want those conversations to go?
I suspect some Labour members or supporters don’t want to challenge the government now labour is finally leading it.
However, I would point out that at the Aotea Square meeting on Sunday, Laila Harre spoke about being a Labour party member, while also publicly opposing the latest TPPA-11.
Moana Maniapoto talked about how she celebrated when Labour formed a government with NZF and Greens as support. She cracked open the wine. She said that this government is and will do many good things. but that we should still hold them to account when necessary.
I’m not suggesting theres anything wrong in owning multiple houses I’m merely using that link as a round about way to suggest that this government is using the media to lull everybody to sleep and to not worry about hard decisions
I had hoped there would have been large numbers of people showing up to various demonstrations, not with illusions that the signing of the TPP could be averted, but more to let the government know it had been put on notice for signing it.
“Let’s not do this” when we’re talking about a done deal, struck me and strikes me as an odd piece of messaging – one that doesn’t exactly give people a worthwhile reason to turn out.
After all, when the horse has bolted, what’s the point in rushing to the stable doors?
You make a good point, Bill. Howver, I get that it is an echo of Labour’s election slogan “Let’s Do This”.
But also, it’s not over yet. First the relevant Bill has still to go through Parliament, and we are being encouraged to submit to the select committee – for some that could mean as little as a paragraph stating opposition to the agreement.
Also, if you look at the It’s Our Future site, there’s a drop down menu (“Other Agreements”) focused on upcoming agreements with some similar dodgy elements. Kelsey flagged this in her speech in Auckland at the weekend. there’s TISA, the RCEP, and an update of the NZ-China free trade agreement.
Also, it’s inevitable that there will be a drop off in momentum. A recent poll show people want an independent analysis of the TPPA – I guess in the light of Labour-NZF doing their about turn on it. Some people want more info. And it is hard to keep up momentum over time there will be lulls and resurgences.
And the US/Trump is looking like wanting back in, which will re-activate the suspended sections – probably with a vengeance.
3 – 0 down. 5 min left on the clock. “It’s not over yet.”
Except, as far as the TTP goes, it is over. The Bill will sail through Parliament on tail winds created by NZ Labour and the National Party.
True, that’s not necessary the case with other Agreements. Though National and NZ Labour will keep on supplying those tail winds – unless or until the anti is upped on NZ Labour and it’s made abundantly clear to them that by signing such deals they sign their own death warrant in terms of electability.
But do enough people care enough? Do enough people understand well enough to use the only Parliamentary leverage available and commit to voting Green? Will the Green Party go loud and proud with its opposition?
Parker has spouted tosh about fantastic negotiating that changed everything when in fact nothing of substance was altered. And he got away with it! How come?
It all sounds terribly dismal, I know, but…
On the bright side, the world is shifting, and the formerly secure liberal consensus of that muddled middle that gave us “Blair” and “Third Way” and Clinton’s “triangulations” is getting washed out.
NZ might be a shore somewhat distant to that wave. But it will arrive. And it doesn’t have to hit these shores before having an effect, given that it takes a number of partners to dance that “free trade” jig 😉
Make no mistake, it is exactly the same txt as the original agreement by the National party but has a few pages added onto that suspends some provisions mostly on health that they can just stop suspending if they rejoin.
The ISDS is still in there. There is NO protection of ISDS at all. Apparently there may be for a few countries in the side letters so there is still NO protection for this in the agreement.
The EU has now said they will NOT allow ISDS clauses in their agreements any longer. Pity the Labour government can show some guts and actually do the same instead of the weak and feeble approach, like National.
The US mandated that climate change was removed from every part of TPPA. When they left, NZ under the Labour and NZ First Government DID NOT put in climate change clauses.
This is AFTER Jacinda Ardern saying that climate change was her issue of the 21st century. (Obviously leaving Parker in charge is not working if that is true).
The PM will be judged by this agreement, so it is Jacinda’s name as the number one person who was a hypocrite, when it all goes wrong with climate change and NZ will be unable to act quickly due to this type of dinosaur agreement to protect corporation profits now and in the future, not the people who live in the country or this environment.
On average the ISDS clauses are used once a week around the world. As resources get fewer the corporations are keener to protect their profits and their lawyers thinking of new ways to profit from them.
It takes the decision making on these legal matters AWAY from NZ legislation. It is not even a real court that is used, it’s a business type tribunal.
India was unable to do solar panels to help it’s climate change obligations under the free trade agreements it was part of.
If the WTO restricts buy local, I wonder if the Indians have considered copying the Americans and applying tariffs on imported solar panels so they are not competitively priced?
NAFTA’s Chapter 11 Makes Canada Most-Sued Country Under Free Trade Tribunals
“Canada is the most-sued country under the North American Free Trade Agreement and a majority of the disputes involve investors challenging the country’s environmental laws, according to a new study.’
The upgrade to the FTA with China should not be much of a problem, it is just asking that we get access on the same (better) terms they later gave Oz.
We can offer support for (their) RCEP and continued support for One Belt if they agree. RCEP is just a total in package of existing FTA (with China and ASEAN) expanded to include others (such as India).
The South Americans will not push corporate rights and the EU is not the threat in these matters that the US is.
TPP is a done deal, maybe a push to have the government and opposition agree to block US admission to TPP unless it is on existing terms (the US does not get what they would have if they signed up now) would be useful.
RCEP is not uncontroversial. There is a very good opportunity to improve it and shape it into a better deal with our participation, but it would require Labour and New Zealand First living up to their rhetoric on trade, and actually trying to export some of our values around labour rights and environmentalism overseas.
While the RCEP negotiations to date do not appear to go as far as the TPPA, risks that have been identified so far are inclusion of Investor-State Dispute Settlement provisions and a likely impact on the availability of medicines.
The RCEP negotiations are officially due to be finished by the end of the year. In reality, however, commentators predict that the agreement will take much longer to conclude, if at all, due to competing visions for the agreement and the very different strategic interests of the parties.
TISA is a radical extension of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). It binds countries to a neoliberal regime for services.
The Trade in Services Agreement (“TiSA”) is a proposed agreement to roll back regulation of international trade in services. There are 23 countries involved in the negotiations, the most significant being the EU (who negotiate as a single bloc) and the US.
…
if it is agreed to, it will have a big effect on New Zealand’s ability both to regulate in the public interest and to support local organisations to provide service to the New Zealand public.
In a nutshell, the idea of TiSA is to make it easier for service providers (such banks, insurance companies, internet service provider, freight companies and healthcare providers) to sell their services to consumers in another country. This would be done by stripping away regulations and other practices which get in the way of corporate profits.
On the NZ-China-FTA update, nothing on the webpage yet. but under the RCEP page it says:
At one end, New Zealand, Australia and Japan are pushing for an [RCEP] agreement with tough rules similar to the TPPA, including for investment and trade in services. At the other end, China is reportedly pushing for a more traditional free trade agreement focusing on reductions in tariffs on goods.
If Labour can be convinced to hold the line against ISDS in any future FTA, where New Zealand take China’s side on this vs Japan/Oz in RCEP talks in return for their upgrading our access to their market to what they gave Oz in their FTA, there is a win win for us.
We have to be partner fluid/straddle the two sides to realise what is best for us.
And as for the USA coming into TPP – why not have Labour oppose this unless there is a side deal where we and the US have a mutual opt out of ISDS?
The problem with this umbrella corporation lead type global trading approach, which this latest step is a further ratcheting up of, is that it an approach based on all the wonders of socialism efficiency and dynamism, without the govt aspect.
The Chinese, for all the weightage of the structural cul-de sacs that they have ( & for the significance of the challenge that brings, it is of note that the situation there has changed to indefinite terms of power), at least have a nationalistic govt with power to provide some overview to things in their population’s interest.
So another relative win for China in the wings with the global trading positions, which it can not be blamed for taking the opportunities of when served up to them voluntarily, by anchorless power structures.
which it [China] can not be blamed for taking the opportunities of when served up to them voluntarily, by anchorless power structures.
Would you class the signing by the National Government in May 2017 during the visit by Xi Jinping of an MOU with China on mutual BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) development as being such an opportunity?
I don’t recall any great concern, protests etc on this at the time.
Here is a recent update just a few days ago, which claims amongst other things that NZ’s signing this MOU was out of step with Australia (who refused to sign such an MOU) and India, Japan and the US.
If you followed the election campaign closely and the promises made by Jacinda and Labour, then there was no reason not to vote for Labour. They made all the right principled noises and sounded like they wanted to make positive change.
However there was always that suspicion that they are still the tired old mob from 1984.
And within 6 months they do this. Sign up to a treaty the marched on the streets against. Even worse than that they lied by claiming the minor adjustments were something they negotiated whereas now it seems the Tories had already negotiated everything.
This broken promise has left me deflated about this government.
I am going to increase my donations to the Green Party as they need to become much more influential heading into 2020.
Occidental v. Ecuador
In October 2012, an ICSID tribunal awarded a judgment of $1.8 billion for Occidental Petroleum against the government of Ecuador.[42] Additionally, Ecuador had to pay $589 million in backdated compound interest and half of the costs of the tribunal, making its total penalty around $2.4 billion.[42] The South American country annulled a contract with the oil firm on the grounds that it violated a clause that the company would not sell its rights to another firm without permission. The tribunal agreed the violation took place but judged that the annulment was not fair and equitable treatment to the company.[42]
Putting people’s fates into a bunch of lawyers is never a good idea. Law mostly benefits the rich.
Have a look at the Little vs Hagaman case. Even though Little was found not guilty, the Haganman went back for another trial.
In this way, it is not about a person (or country) being right or wrong when you are encouraging litigation, it is about power imbalances and using the law to imbalance, disrupt and scare freedom of speech, while delegating decision making to others to decide a person or (countries) fate.
It’s about to get a lot worse in NZ! Already the councils are out of control, imagine what they will do after this agreement is signed, more and more environmental degradation and decisions to empower rich and take and marginalise the poor.
Now they have an agreement for multinational chemical and oil companies among other’s, to join in the subjugation!
You are dead right and given the tax $$ of this TPP mess you can expect more tax gouging of the average Kiwi from the political parasites to pay for it all in years to come.
Socialism for the rich, capitalism for everyone else.
Perhaps we were all being naive after 30+ years of politicians ignoring the wishes of voters to think that the situation would suddenly, magically, be transformed after the recent election.
All this really proves is voting is participation in your own oppression and those of others. Suffice to say I’m done with these creeps for good unless by some miracle a group with integrity turns up but after all this time I wont hold my breath.
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In this thoughtful piece Mark White from the left free speech site Plebity examines how we can reclaim the public square as a real Commons. Before we can have an honest debate over what speech should be allowed and what speech should be forbidden, we need to confront a more ...
Elegy For A QueenThe media beast that must be fedOn human fodder hour-by-hour,Just for one second, checks its power.Elizabeth, the Queen, is dead.That this is news no one can doubt.The airwaves hum, the presses roll.And cellphones buzz from pole to poleTo get the information out.We see, we hear, the words ...
Leviathan: Reaching all the way back to the writings of the Sixteenth Century jurist and political philosopher, Jean Bodin, constitutional transformer Moana Jackson argues that the European concept of sovereignty is one of “the most high and perpetual power over citizens”. He would have done better to study Hobbes and Locke ...
Wellingtonians are desperately unhappy with the politicians running their city, and a new poll out yesterday shows they’re not very impressed with their mayoral options either. The Wellington City Council’s own annual Residents Monitoring Survey shows plummeting levels of confidence in the politicians and the state of the city. When ...
As per my Episode 4 review of The Rings of Power, I noted that the Men of Númenor objecting to Elves on a “they’ll steal our jobs!” basis feels a tad weird. Of all the things these people have to throw at their pointy-eared brethren, the show settles upon ...
Half-way through the first season of The Rings of Power, we have run into our first unapologetically good episode. Not merely one to feel positive about, whilst grumbling about perceived flaws real or imagined. No, I think the fourth episode is sufficiently good that hunting around for flaws to ...
The aim of a decent liberal Russia is still there; its achievement is likely to be a long way off. I was optimistic about the prospects for Russia when the Soviet Union – or, as I think of it, the Russian Empire – collapsed in the early 1990s. I never ...
Since his election in 2010, Viktor Orbán has shifted Hungary sharply away from democracy and the rule of law, changing the constitution to stack the electoral system and the courts against his opponents, while dismantling the independent media. And now, the European Parliament has recognised the truth: that one of ...
Labour’s poll results are trending down. Yesterday’s Curia poll put the party down two points to just 33 per cent, while National is up three points to 37 per cent. When it comes to next year’s election, a key constituency for Labour will be Māori voters, especially in the Māori ...
Worst Case Scenario? Mike Bartlett’s teleplay, King Charles III, teases out the consequences of a constitutional monarch who makes the mistake of attempting to defend the rights of his subjects.WHILE MANY OF US pretended that Queen Elizabeth II would, somehow, live forever, others among us knew better. One of those ...
The media coverage of the mourning process for Elizabeth II seems to be as endless as the lines of people waiting patiently to pay their respects. (The British are very good at standing in queues.) New Zealand’s official ten day mourning period ends on Monday, after the state funeral in ...
Mutual assured stupefaction A plethora of investigations have found that come the clutch, ideology often wins over facts when it comes to uncomfortable truths. If the outcomes of facts disagree with ideological objectives, facts frequently lose. Why? If we look at the sharpest divergences of facts from wishful ideology, we find ...
Yesterday a new report from Environment Southland found widespread environmental contamination at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. Both the soil and groundwater has been contaminated with fluoride and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the stormwater drains are full of heavy metals. Worse, this is just what we know - the data ...
For the first ten years of my former academic career I wrote a considerable amount about post-authoritarian democratisation thanks to the mentors that introduced me to the subject and my personal interest in Argentina and the Southern Cone. I alternated this interest with writing about various security related topics like ...
From this week the public can provide input into the Government’s review of electoral laws – a process which is supposed to make elections cleaner and fairer. Hopefully, public submissions and pressure applied to both the electoral review experts and the Government will force the consideration and implementation of progressive ...
This week, we’ve marked a major milestone in our work on mental health – more than 500,000 sessions delivered through our Access and Choice programme. This programme, which enables Kiwis to get free mental support at their doctor or health centre, is just one of the ways we’re rebuilding New ...
Recent media coverage of the challenges facing local body elections, including people not receiving their voting papers and being told incorrectly that they are not eligible to vote, make it abundantly clear that the job of running our democracy should be given to the Electoral Commission. ...
The Government has finally agreed to meet with the whānau of Te Waimana Kaaku, a step the Green Party says must lead to warm, dry, secure homes being provided on their whenua and papakāinga. ...
The Green Party has published an open letter to the Prime Minister calling on the Government to make some small changes to Working for Families so it better meets the needs of low-income families. ...
Thousands more New Zealanders will soon have access to life-changing medicines, thanks to our Government’s record investments in Pharmac’s medicines budget. ...
Parents who are injured while giving birth will be better supported by ACC, thanks to months of pressure from the Green Party, parents, community advocacy groups, academics, and medical experts. ...
Today’s expansion of the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme (RSE) fails to guarantee Pacific people traveling to Aotearoa for work a warm place to live, safe working conditions, and good pay. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to tighten the rules on synthetic fertiliser use and intensive land use, including intensive winter grazing, after new monitoring data revealed almost two-thirds of monitored rivers and streams are in poor health. ...
A new report out today provides all evidence the Government needs to start addressing runaway inequality and rebalance Aotearoa to work for everyone. ...
The Green Party once again put electoral reform on the political agenda with the first reading of Golriz Ghahraman’s Strengthening Democracy member’s bill - only for it to be voted down by Labour. ...
Following months of pressure from the Green Party and environmental NGO and the public, the Minister for Foreign Affairs today confirmed that she is taking advice on whether the Government should support a moratorium on deep sea mining in international waters. ...
Green Party spokesperson for Mental Health, Chlöe Swarbrick, welcomes commitments from the Minister of Health to six key areas of progress for the ADHD community, which would together represent one of the largest changes for the ADHD community in a generation. ...
The Green Party is once again calling on the Government to support victims of war, oppression, and violence to reunite with their families and put down roots in Aotearoa New Zealand. ...
If you missed Grant Robertson’s recent speech on New Zealand’s economy, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Here’s a super quick overview of what the Minister of Finance said about the Government’s economic plan, as well as the latest figures that show how New Zealand’s economy is tracking. ...
Minister O’Connor should immediately pause the Government’s proposed Fonterra Bill and review its potential impact on the climate, the Green Party says. ...
On the 50th anniversary of the Māori language petition, the Green Party is calling on the Government to make te reo Māori a core curriculum subject in mainstream schools and to support Kaupapa Māori education groups. ...
Kia ora e te whānau! It’s Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori once again – an opportunity for all of us, no matter where we are on our te reo journey, to give te reo Māori a go. This year, as we celebrate Māori Language Week, we are also marking ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to urgently increase the support available for people who are struggling to afford to put food on the table. ...
Minister of Defence Peeni Henare has today departed for the Middle East where he will visit New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel deployed within the region, including in Operation Gallant Phoenix in Jordan and the Multinational Force and Observers mission on the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. The Minister will also undertake ...
The Government has announced funding to clean up six contaminated sites to reduce the risk to public health and protect the environment. “These six projects will help protect the public from health risks associated with hazardous materials, so New Zealanders can live in a cleaner, safer environment.” Environment Minister David Parker ...
New Zealand’s effort to reduce agricultural emissions has taken a step forward with the signing of a memorandum of understanding by Government with agribusiness leaders, in a joint venture as part of the new Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced. The Ministry for Primary Industries signed ...
The enduring strength and sustainability of Vosa Vakaviti is being celebrated by the Fijian community in Aotearoa New Zealand during Macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti – Fijian Language Week, which gets underway today. “This year’s theme, ‘Me vakabulabulataki, vakamareqeti, ka vakaqaqacotaki na vosa Vakaviti’, which translates as ‘Nurture, Preserve and Sustain ...
New Zealand condemns unequivocally Russia’s attempts to illegally annex Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. “We do not recognise these illegal attempts to change Ukraine’s borders or territorial sovereignty,” Jacinda Ardern said. “Russia’s sham referenda in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are illegitimate, and have no legal ...
With our borders opened and tourists returning, those seeking out adventurous activities can do so more safely due to the steps we’ve taken to improve the health and safety regulatory regime for adventure activities, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood has announced. “We are seeing international visitor numbers begin ...
Single-use plastic cotton buds, drink stirrers and most plastic meat trays are among single use plastics banned from sale or manufacture from tomorrow. “This is the first group of the most problematic plastic products to be banned in a progressive phase out over the next three years,” Environment Minister David ...
It’s a pleasure to join you today – and I extend a particular welcome to Marty Donoghue (a member of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control) and Athena Li-Watts (interning with me this week) who are also joining me today. On the face of it, some ...
The Government’s flagship primary mental health and addiction programme Access and Choice has hit the milestone of delivering more than 500,000 sessions to New Zealanders needing mental health support. Health Minister Andrew Little made the announcement at ADL – Thrive Pae Ora in Cromwell which provides mental wellbeing support services ...
The Government has announced further support for the recovery and resilience of the arts, culture and heritage sector as part of its COVID Recovery Programme’s Innovation Fund. “We’re continuing to secure the recovery of our arts, culture and heritage in Aotearoa New Zealand by supporting transformational initiatives across the motu,” ...
The Government is delivering on an election commitment to protect kauri in our northern forests through the new National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) for the forest giant and the allocation of $32 million of funding to back the coordinated effort, Biosecurity Minister Damien O'Connor and Associate Environment Minister (Biodiversity) ...
Aotearoa New Zealand does not recognise the results of the sham referenda in Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta says. “These so-called referenda were not free or fair, and they very clearly were not held in accordance with democratic principles,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “Instead, they were hastily organised ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has officially opened New Zealand Wine Centre–Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa in Blenheim today, saying that investments like these give us cause for optimism for the future. Funding of $3.79 million for the Marlborough Research Centre to build a national wine centre was announced in 2020, ...
Attorney-General David Parker today announced the appointment of Colonel Craig Ruane, Commander Robyn Loversidge, and James Wilding KC as Judges of the Court Martial Appeal Court. The Court Martial Appeal Court is a senior court of record established under the Court Martial Appeals Act 1953. It is summoned by the ...
Offence and penalty regime significantly strengthened New infringement offences for non-compliance Public register of individuals and businesses that are found guilty of migrant exploitation New community-led pilot to educate migrants workers and employers of employment rights Implemented reporting tools successfully brings exploitation out of the shadows Take-up of protective visa ...
The passing of a Bill today to end the export of livestock by sea will protect New Zealand’s reputation for world-leading animal welfare standards, Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor said. “The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill future-proofs our economic security amid increasing consumer scrutiny across the board on production practices," Damien ...
3500 census workers on the ground, twice as many as last census More forms to be delivered – 44% compared to 3% in 2018 Prioritisation of Māori and other groups and regions with lower response rates in 2018 Major work to ensure the delivery of a successful census in 2023 ...
Improved working conditions for workers in the screen industry is now a reality with the Screen Industry Workers Bill passing its third reading today, announced Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood. “It’s fantastic to see the Screen Industry Workers Bill progress through Parliament. The new Act will strengthen protections ...
Associate Minister of Education (School Operations) Jan Tinetti and Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education) Kelvin Davis have today launched two new resources to support wellbeing, and the teaching and learning of mental health education in schools and kura. “Students who are happy and healthy learn better. These resources ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has welcomed the latest progress on Auckland’s two most transformational transport projects in a generation – Auckland Light Rail and the Additional Waitematā Harbour Connections. Auckland Light Rail and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency have named preferred bidders to move each project to their next phase, ...
Ten successful applicants in round two of the Local Innovation and Partnership Fund (LIPF) Close to $6 million allocated as part of the Homelessness Action Plan (HAP) Māori, Pasefika and rangatahi a strong focus Round three opening later this year with up to $6.8 million available. Government is stepping up ...
Health Minister Andrew Little is welcoming news that two more important medicines are set to be funded, thanks to the Government’s big boost to the country’s medicines budget. “Since coming into Government in 2017, the Labour Government has increased Pharmac’s funding by 43 per cent, including a $71 million boost ...
The Maternal Birth Injury and Other Matters Bill passes Third Reading – the first amendment to ACC legislation of its kind From 1 October 2022, new ACC cover to benefit approximately 28,000 birthing parents Additional maternal birth injuries added alongside new review provision to ensure cover remains comprehensive Greater clarity ...
Commercial catch limits for East Coast tarakihi will be reduced further to help the stock rebuild faster. “Tarakihi is a popular fish, and this has led to declining levels over time. Many adjustments have been made and the stock is recovering. I have decided on further commercial catch reductions of ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of diplomat Nicci Stilwell as the next Ambassador to Colombia. “Aotearoa New Zealand’s relationship with Colombia is fast growing with strong links across education, climate change and indigenous co-operation,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “Trade is a key part of our relationship with Colombia, ...
The Government continues to respond to global workforce shortages by announcing the largest increase in over a decade to the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme (RSE), providing 3000 additional places, Immigration Minister Michael Wood and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor have announced. The new RSE cap will allow access to 19,000 workers ...
Further sanctions are being imposed on members of President Putin’s inner circle and other representatives of the Russian political elite, as part of the Governments ongoing response to the war in Ukraine, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “Ukraine has been clear that the most important action we can take to ...
Judge Ida Malosi, District Court Judge of Wellington, has been appointed as the new Principal Youth Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Born and raised in Southland, Judge Malosi graduated from Victoria University of Wellington and spent her legal career in South Auckland. She was a founding partner of ...
Overseas visitor arrivals exceeded 100,000 in July, for the first time since the borders closed in March 2020 Strong ski season lifts arrivals to Queenstown to at least 90% of the same period in 2019 Australia holiday recovery has continued to trend upwards New Zealand’s tourism recovery is on its ...
Climate change continues to present a major risk for the island nation of Tuvalu, which means sustaining te gana Tuvalu, both on home soil and in New Zealand Aotearoa, has never been more important, Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said. The Tuvalu Auckland Community Trust and wider Tuvalu ...
Associate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio travels to the Philippines this weekend to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors in Manila. “The ADB Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to engage with other ADB member countries, including those ...
E ngā Mana, e ngā Reo, Rau Rangatira mā kua huihui mai nei i tēnei Whare Nui o te Ao Ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa, mai i tōku Whenua o Aotearoa Tuia ki runga, Tuia ki raro, ka Rongo to pō ka rongo te ao Nō reira, tēnā ...
A united approach across all-of-Government underpins the new Pacific Language Strategy, announced by the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio at Parliament today. “The cornerstone of our Pacific cultures, identities and place in Aotearoa, New Zealand are our Pacific languages. They are at the heart of our wellbeing,” Aupito ...
Communities across the country will benefit from newly upgraded sporting facilities as a result of New Zealand co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. The Government is investing around $19 million to support upgrades at 30 of the 32 potential sporting facilities earmarked for the tournament, including pitch, lighting and ...
Aotearoa New Zealand is extending the reach of its support for climate action to a new agriculture initiative with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean. Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced a NZ$10 million contribution to build resilience, enhance food security and address the ...
The 30th anniversary of the Fisheries Deed of Settlement is a time to celebrate a truly historic partnership that has helped transform communities, says Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Rino Tirikatene. “The agreement between the Crown and Māori righted past wrongs, delivered on the Crown’s treaty ...
The Government has today announced funding for projects that will cut plastic waste and reduce its impact on the environment. “Today I am announcing the first four investments to be made from the $50 million Plastics Innovation Fund, which was set last year and implemented a 2020 election promise,” Environment ...
Attorney-General David Parker today called for nominations and expressions of interest in appointment to the High Court Bench. This is a process conducted at least every three years and ensures the Attorney-General has up to date information from which to make High Court appointments. “It is important that when appointments ...
New Zealanders will have up to $100,000 of their deposits in any eligible institution guaranteed in the event that institution fails, under legislation introduced in Parliament today. The Deposit Takers Bill is the third piece of legislation in a comprehensive review of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act and ...
The Government has launched a new housing fund that will help more Pacific aiga achieve the dream of home ownership. “The Pacific Building Affordable Homes Fund will help organisations, private developers, Māori/iwi, and NGOs build affordable housing for Pacific families and establish better pathways to home ownership within Pacific communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University Victorians will be heading to the polls on November 26 to select their next state government. This will be the first election since Labor won national government in May, and it will ...
New Zealand must shift the burden of taxation from the working population to landowners if it is serious about tackling poverty and the housing crisis, says Raf Manji, leader of The Opportunities Party (TOP). At its AGM in Wellington today, TOP announced a ...
In this year's local elections six candidates are carrying the affiliation of Refreshing Local Democracy. But who and what is Refreshing Local Democracy, and what do the candidates stand for? Tim Brown reports. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Bianca De Marchi/AAP The government has stepped up pressure on Optus to immediately hand over the information it has on people whose data was breached by the hacking of the telecommunications giant. ...
We have been assured that co-governance has been operating successfully in New Zealand for some time. But is this the case? And what does co-governance look like in the context of Three Waters?This article is the third in a series by THOMAS CRANMER, the pseudonym adopted ...
In response to the latest moves by Russia to annex areas of Ukraine, the New Zealand Government has signalled that it will impose more sanctions on Russians who support the invasion. Greenpeace Aotearoa is welcoming the move, but spokesperson Amanda ...
All European elections are about Europe. That’s one conclusion which might be drawn from the decimation (a fine Latin term that) of Italy’s governing class – and also the election of a centre-right coalition government – last Sunday. To understand more, recall the previous election in 2018. That also ...
Auckland mayoral candidate Wayne Brown has described a prominent journalist as "a prick" and said if elected he would stick pictures of him in urinals. ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: Te Pāti Māori and vested interestsPolitical scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Controversial Māori politician and president of Te Pāti Māori, John Tamihere, is in hot water over large financial donations relating to his 2019 Auckland Mayoral campaign and Te Pāti Māori’s 2020 election campaign. ...
On Saturday 1st of October 2022, we, the members of the Iranian community of Aotearoa New Zealand, will gather in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin to join the Global Freedom Rally for Iran. This event is organised in more than 130 cities ...
Buzz from the Beehive We are surely blessed to have a government which – with an ever-widening slew of policies and programmes expertly designed to improve our wellbeing – has thrust itself and its magic into the confidence-building business. This was proudly proclaimed – it seemed at first blush – ...
Heading towards a tight election next year, Labour and National are facing economic turbulence from their own policies, and global events, RNZ Political Editor Jane Patterson finds. ...
Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage Alina DuarteMexico City Evo Morales, former President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia and President of the Six Federations of the Tropic of Cochabamba, was a special guest of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) during festivities marking the 212th ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock COVID is an exceptional disease and was at its deadliest this year, causing more deaths in Australia between June and August ...
Buzz from the Beehive The applicants who applied for public funds under the name Eight Sisters have done nicely, thank you, from a trough called the Innovation Fund. They will receive $659,520 to develop a project called Wharenui Harikoa, described as “a large scale crocheted Wharenui to transform intergenerational trauma ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Nelson, Associate Professor of Economics, Griffith University Shutterstock AGL Energy – Australia’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases – announced this week it will shut the Loy Yang A power station in Victoria’s LaTrobe Valley in 2035, a decade earlier ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney The Irawaddy, CC BY-SA Australian Sean Turnell, economic adviser to Myanmar’s democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has been in prison since the military coup of February 2021, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The United States midterm elections will be held in six weeks, on November 8. All 435 House of Representatives seats are up ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra National cabinet has agreed to lift the five day mandatory isolation period for people contracting COVID, with the Commonwealth’s chief medical officer declaring “it is time to move away from COVID exceptionalism”. In a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marc Trabsky, Senior research fellow, La Trobe University Queen Elizabeth’s newly released death certificate contains just two curious words under her cause of death – old age. We might talk about people dying of old age in everyday speech. But who actually ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Walker-Munro, Senior Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Among the many questions raised by the Optus data leak – cybersecurity experts are confident it wasn’t a hack, but that may have to be decided by a court – is why the company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ariadna Matamoros-Fernández, Senior Lecturer in Digital Media at the School of Communication, Queensland University of Technology Viviana Rishe/Unsplash We live in deeply unequal societies where certain groups, such as racial and sexual minorities, continue to experience structural oppression. Humour targeted ...
More than half a million mental health sessions have been delivered to New Zealanders under the government's Access and Choice programme despite delays to the roll-out. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathleen McPhillips, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle Catholic women across the world are calling for a wide range of reforms to the church, according to the results of our survey of more than 17,000 Catholic women ...
Another greyhound has tested positive for methamphetamine in the racing industry. The drug was detected in June 2022 in Palmerston North only after the trainer used a string of excuses to delay the urine swab by two hours. SAFE Campaigns Manager ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Carlson, Professor, Indigenous Studies and Director of The Centre for Global Indigenous Futures, Macquarie University Moratorium for Black rights Sydney from the film NINGLA ANA This year, we acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Aboriginal Tent ...
Analysis - Another opinion poll points to a close election, as National launches a tax attack on the government but has to answer questions about its own policy, writes Peter Wilson. ...
October is World Vegetarian Month, starting with World Vegetarian Day on 1st October, encompassing World Animal Day on October 4th and ending with World Vegan Day on 1st November. “ This month is a good opportunity to promote healthy living, sustainability ...
It is tempting to liken the political hacks of the mainstream news media to piranha, rather than ever-vigilant watchdogs of the Fourth Estate. With the exception of the NZ Herald, they have lamentably ill-served the voting public by failing to muster a whimper, let alone a snarl or a warning ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Donne Potter, Professor, Research Centre for Hauora and Health, Massey University Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images With more of us living into old age than at any other time, dementia is increasing steadily worldwide, with major individual, family, ...
The decision by the New Zealand Police to look further into the Pike River mine workings has been welcomed by Pike River family members. Ten new boreholes will be drilled into the mine to allow police to gather more evidence by remote video. For ...
Māori and ethnic minority youth who are not perceived as European/Pākehā or ‘white’ are more likely to experience racial discrimination Lancet study shows Young people who are not perceived as European/Pākehā or ‘white’ are more likely to experience ...
The Treasury has published a new Analytical Note, New Zealand's Productivity Performance: Taking a Broader View , written by John Janssen, Margaret Galt and Giles Bollinger. This Analytical Note expands on themes covered in the Secretary to the Treasury’s ...
Human rights data on housing released today by Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the Human Rights Commission, estimates more than 100,000 people face severe housing deprivation, while 17 percent of people with a physical impairment have unmet housing modification ...
Morning Report - RNZ and TVNZ's political editors Jane Patterson and Jessica Mutch-McKay assess some clashes between opposition MPs and the government - and the implications in the latest poll. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon D Angus, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Monash University Eliud Kipchoge crosses the line to win the Berlin Marathon on September 25, 2022.Christoph Soeder/AP Sixty-nine seconds. In that time, you could reheat a cuppa in the microwave or get halfway ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David King, Senior Lecturer in General Practice, The University of Queensland Photo by Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels, CC BY Common colds are caused by viruses. There are no effective cures, and antibiotics do not work on viruses, so treatment is targeted at ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Moninya Roughan, Professor in Oceanography, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock The oceans absorb more than 90% of all extra heat trapped by the emissions we’ve produced by burning fossil fuels. This heat is enormous. It’s as if we exploded an atom bomb ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darren Crayn, Professor and Director, Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University Shutterstock You’re probably familiar with the sight of a lillipilly bush. This hardy Australian staple – a glossy evergreen bearing powder-puff flowers and clusters of bright berries – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Though they’d be the last to admit it, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have more in common than you might expect. They’re both unapologetic pragmatists. Albanese, a left fighter in the distant past, is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Baer Arnold, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Canberra Medicare card numbers are the latest personal details to be exposed as part of the Optus data breach. Optus has confirmed this affects 14,900 valid Medicare numbers that have not expired, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Whitehouse, Bennett Chair of Autism, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia Shutterstock Eligibility for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) came under scrutiny this week, after NDIS minister Bill Shorten said he was considering whether a diagnosis ...
A crackdown on migrant exploitation could see guilty employers face harsher penalties - be publicly named and shamed - and banned from managing a company. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute In the 15 years to 2020, Victoria’s emissions fell by almost 30%, according to a new government report. You might wonder how is this possible, given most of the state’s brown coal stations are still ...
Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson has clarified comments he made about the media, saying he did not mean to imply the public did not trust RNZ and TVNZ. ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: Public sector bosses must be held accountable for undermining transparencyPolitical scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Public service bosses earn mega-salaries, yet oversee bureaucracies that frequently undermine transparency and frustrate public and media scrutiny. The obvious answer is to start docking the pay of chief ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joyce Siette, Research Theme Fellow, Western Sydney University Shutterstock Dementia is a leading cause of death in Australia. Although dementia mainly affects older people, it is an avoidable part of ageing. In fact, we all have the power to reduce ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government has introduced its legislation for the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which has received the endorsement of opposition leader Peter Dutton and so is assured of passage through parliament. But critics are unhappy that ...
It is only a star on the horizon for the bulk of dairy farmers — but this is what they may aspire to. How about a payout of $11.30kg/MS? That’s what the 101 farmer-shareholders in the Waikato specialist-product-co-op Tatua will receive — a record — for the 2021-22 year. Tatua ...
Buzz from the Beehive While the PM was pumping up the prospects of wine producers – and, presumably, their potential for export growth – Trade Minister Damien O’Connor was scuttling shipments of livestock by sea. Jacinda Ardern has officially opened the New Zealand Wine Centre in Blenheim, saying investments like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Duncan Cook, Associate professor, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock Mercury is a toxic heavy metal. When leached into the natural environment, it accumulates and builds up through food chains, ultimately threatening human health and ecosystems. In the last century, human ...
A proposal to dramatically lower the speed limit on most of the nation's highways is unlikely to significantly lower the road toll, says the car review website dogandlemon.com . Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety campaigner. says: ...
Te Whakatōhea, will soon be voting on whether to receive a $100m+ settlement package 26 years after receiving their first settlement offer from the Crown. Whakatōhea Pre Settlement Claims Trust Chair, Graeme Riesterer says that the time is now for ...
The Maritime Union of New Zealand says the Ports of Auckland must remain in the full ownership of Auckland Council. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says recent debates in the Auckland Mayoralty election campaign had ...
New Zealand King Salmon (NZKS) has reported a $24.5 million loss for its half-year earnings, of which it says a major contributor was a January mortality event. A 25% mortality rate for NZKS farms is considered standard for the company, and NZKS is ...
Among the many issues related to the performance of the export sector and how the Government might further help it is the case for negotiating a trade deal with India. Australia has secured a free trade deal with what is the planet’s fifth-biggest economy. In contrast, Agriculture and Trade Minister ...
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It’s all different now. So you can see those protests weren’t really TPP protests, but an avenue to protest the National govt.
The agreement is going to be signed regardless.
Look on the brightside, at least we no longer have a liar, and fetishist in power.
We demonstrably do have a liar ( in fact two) in power, as to fetishist, who know’s and regardless – what people do in their own time is their business.
No , no ,… no,… I’m afraid your confusing this govt with the last poor excuse for one that was recently ousted…
As for the TTPA 2… well,… yes its time to roll up ones sleeves and put the ultimatum , – we don’t want it , -and if you want to stay on side with the people of this country , – DON’T DO IT !!!
Got a few things to do this arvy but will be signing.
Well you boy went public with his.
As for lies, if you actually followed what I said during the campaign, I attacked labour for their economic policy over and over. So really your comments about lies, stunned mullet is ideological, and just not correct. .
I was disappointed when National failed to get back in but that blows been softened considerably by Labours many about faces since they’ve been in power
Sure I would have preferred National but National-lite is ok with me
Well, not entirely. If NZF was not in the position it was in, Labour would have rubbished a lot more, like the 90 day trial.
So next election, I suspect NZF may not be needed. Then you will get true Labour.
Does this mean fake Labour are leading us now?
No , it means they have not truly comprehended the public outcry and the ensuing outcome and fate that the last dictatorial government suffered partially because of it ,…
RNZ coverage of TPP protests – YouTube
john campbell coverage of TPPA protests youtube▶ 2:26:32
How about actually identifying the date of that video – 9 November 2015.
Much bigger turn-out to the latest CP-TPP marches from what I have heard and seen from videos posted on the Facebook pages.
Yes indeed, however , the last protests were an indication of public feeling then , – and the way it is was being rammed through… the latest rounds may just be an eye opener.
I think you’re being a little uncharitable there. There is a phenomenon where some people don’t care about things they thought were bad if “their team” now supports them. It is one of the bad things about our lot getting into government. I’d say that and uncritically buying the Labour line about how they “improved” the deal is why opposition to (CPA)TPP is so much quieter atm.
natural ebbs and flows too. Some people will be feeling like it’s a done deal so what is the point of protesting. I like the regrouping message from the organisers.
I doubt that very much.
It was purely anti National protests.
I think this is a great opportunity for young people to realise that liberalism is the real enemy.
All that caring language, and tokenism really adds up to bugger all for working people.
If we organise outside the state, then we are not bound by these silly little rules.
I think that’s the value in continued protests even if they are just small (and yet backed by the 75% poll). It keeps the issue on the agenda, and allows those deeper conversations to happen.
Trick now is, what direction do we want those conversations to go?
“All that caring language, and tokenism really adds up to bugger all for working people”
We are all working people.
“we are all working people”
What do mean by that statement?
thanks for this important post, weka.
I suspect some Labour members or supporters don’t want to challenge the government now labour is finally leading it.
However, I would point out that at the Aotea Square meeting on Sunday, Laila Harre spoke about being a Labour party member, while also publicly opposing the latest TPPA-11.
Moana Maniapoto talked about how she celebrated when Labour formed a government with NZF and Greens as support. She cracked open the wine. She said that this government is and will do many good things. but that we should still hold them to account when necessary.
Oh don’t worry about it so much, look heres something:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/latest/101946100/jacinda-ardern-and-clarke-gayford-buy-new-home-for-growing-family
Its like we’re all buying a new home so Isn’t that better than worrying about some silly trade deal 🙂
Stop stirring, PR – and keep up to date. AND irrelevant to this post.
This was done to death on Sunday, 4 March on Open Mike at 7. Here are some links for you.
I’m not suggesting theres anything wrong in owning multiple houses I’m merely using that link as a round about way to suggest that this government is using the media to lull everybody to sleep and to not worry about hard decisions
I suppose I could have used this instead:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/101900513/fish-of-the-day-clarke-gayford-returns-to-catch-the-one-that-nearly-killed-him
Its like we’re all going fishing together so Isn’t that better than worrying about some silly trade deal 🙂
PR stop it. Wrong Post. OM is where these comments should have been. Come on over there; I have some pictures for you ….
I’m both intrigued and a little worried
I had hoped there would have been large numbers of people showing up to various demonstrations, not with illusions that the signing of the TPP could be averted, but more to let the government know it had been put on notice for signing it.
“Let’s not do this” when we’re talking about a done deal, struck me and strikes me as an odd piece of messaging – one that doesn’t exactly give people a worthwhile reason to turn out.
After all, when the horse has bolted, what’s the point in rushing to the stable doors?
You make a good point, Bill. Howver, I get that it is an echo of Labour’s election slogan “Let’s Do This”.
But also, it’s not over yet. First the relevant Bill has still to go through Parliament, and we are being encouraged to submit to the select committee – for some that could mean as little as a paragraph stating opposition to the agreement.
Also, if you look at the It’s Our Future site, there’s a drop down menu (“Other Agreements”) focused on upcoming agreements with some similar dodgy elements. Kelsey flagged this in her speech in Auckland at the weekend. there’s TISA, the RCEP, and an update of the NZ-China free trade agreement.
Also, it’s inevitable that there will be a drop off in momentum. A recent poll show people want an independent analysis of the TPPA – I guess in the light of Labour-NZF doing their about turn on it. Some people want more info. And it is hard to keep up momentum over time there will be lulls and resurgences.
And the US/Trump is looking like wanting back in, which will re-activate the suspended sections – probably with a vengeance.
So “Let’s Not Do This” is also future-focused.
3 – 0 down. 5 min left on the clock. “It’s not over yet.”
Except, as far as the TTP goes, it is over. The Bill will sail through Parliament on tail winds created by NZ Labour and the National Party.
True, that’s not necessary the case with other Agreements. Though National and NZ Labour will keep on supplying those tail winds – unless or until the anti is upped on NZ Labour and it’s made abundantly clear to them that by signing such deals they sign their own death warrant in terms of electability.
But do enough people care enough? Do enough people understand well enough to use the only Parliamentary leverage available and commit to voting Green? Will the Green Party go loud and proud with its opposition?
Parker has spouted tosh about fantastic negotiating that changed everything when in fact nothing of substance was altered. And he got away with it! How come?
It all sounds terribly dismal, I know, but…
On the bright side, the world is shifting, and the formerly secure liberal consensus of that muddled middle that gave us “Blair” and “Third Way” and Clinton’s “triangulations” is getting washed out.
NZ might be a shore somewhat distant to that wave. But it will arrive. And it doesn’t have to hit these shores before having an effect, given that it takes a number of partners to dance that “free trade” jig 😉
Make no mistake, it is exactly the same txt as the original agreement by the National party but has a few pages added onto that suspends some provisions mostly on health that they can just stop suspending if they rejoin.
The ISDS is still in there. There is NO protection of ISDS at all. Apparently there may be for a few countries in the side letters so there is still NO protection for this in the agreement.
The EU has now said they will NOT allow ISDS clauses in their agreements any longer. Pity the Labour government can show some guts and actually do the same instead of the weak and feeble approach, like National.
The US mandated that climate change was removed from every part of TPPA. When they left, NZ under the Labour and NZ First Government DID NOT put in climate change clauses.
This is AFTER Jacinda Ardern saying that climate change was her issue of the 21st century. (Obviously leaving Parker in charge is not working if that is true).
The PM will be judged by this agreement, so it is Jacinda’s name as the number one person who was a hypocrite, when it all goes wrong with climate change and NZ will be unable to act quickly due to this type of dinosaur agreement to protect corporation profits now and in the future, not the people who live in the country or this environment.
On average the ISDS clauses are used once a week around the world. As resources get fewer the corporations are keener to protect their profits and their lawyers thinking of new ways to profit from them.
It takes the decision making on these legal matters AWAY from NZ legislation. It is not even a real court that is used, it’s a business type tribunal.
India was unable to do solar panels to help it’s climate change obligations under the free trade agreements it was part of.
https://boingboing.net/2016/03/13/usa-uses-tpp-like-trade-court.html
The TPPA was a DOG and still is a DOG.
It is not too late to stop the signing at the Labour and NZ First government has not signed it yet.
Like the EU – they should know not to sign these agreements with ISDS clauses in them.
If the WTO restricts buy local, I wonder if the Indians have considered copying the Americans and applying tariffs on imported solar panels so they are not competitively priced?
NAFTA’s Chapter 11 Makes Canada Most-Sued Country Under Free Trade Tribunals
“Canada is the most-sued country under the North American Free Trade Agreement and a majority of the disputes involve investors challenging the country’s environmental laws, according to a new study.’
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01/14/canada-sued-investor-state-dispute-ccpa_n_6471460.html
The upgrade to the FTA with China should not be much of a problem, it is just asking that we get access on the same (better) terms they later gave Oz.
We can offer support for (their) RCEP and continued support for One Belt if they agree. RCEP is just a total in package of existing FTA (with China and ASEAN) expanded to include others (such as India).
The South Americans will not push corporate rights and the EU is not the threat in these matters that the US is.
TPP is a done deal, maybe a push to have the government and opposition agree to block US admission to TPP unless it is on existing terms (the US does not get what they would have if they signed up now) would be useful.
RCEP is not uncontroversial. There is a very good opportunity to improve it and shape it into a better deal with our participation, but it would require Labour and New Zealand First living up to their rhetoric on trade, and actually trying to export some of our values around labour rights and environmentalism overseas.
There are still problems with the other agreements in the pipeline, although they tend to not be as wide-ranging as the TPPA.
It’s Our Future on the RCEP –
On TISA (Trade in Services Agreement):
On the NZ-China-FTA update, nothing on the webpage yet. but under the RCEP page it says:
If Labour can be convinced to hold the line against ISDS in any future FTA, where New Zealand take China’s side on this vs Japan/Oz in RCEP talks in return for their upgrading our access to their market to what they gave Oz in their FTA, there is a win win for us.
We have to be partner fluid/straddle the two sides to realise what is best for us.
And as for the USA coming into TPP – why not have Labour oppose this unless there is a side deal where we and the US have a mutual opt out of ISDS?
Labour would accept whatever if the US wanted back in.
Same as National.
Mainly because as Clark said, it would be extremely dumb not to.
The problem with this umbrella corporation lead type global trading approach, which this latest step is a further ratcheting up of, is that it an approach based on all the wonders of socialism efficiency and dynamism, without the govt aspect.
The Chinese, for all the weightage of the structural cul-de sacs that they have ( & for the significance of the challenge that brings, it is of note that the situation there has changed to indefinite terms of power), at least have a nationalistic govt with power to provide some overview to things in their population’s interest.
So another relative win for China in the wings with the global trading positions, which it can not be blamed for taking the opportunities of when served up to them voluntarily, by anchorless power structures.
which it [China] can not be blamed for taking the opportunities of when served up to them voluntarily, by anchorless power structures.
Would you class the signing by the National Government in May 2017 during the visit by Xi Jinping of an MOU with China on mutual BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) development as being such an opportunity?
I don’t recall any great concern, protests etc on this at the time.
Here is a recent update just a few days ago, which claims amongst other things that NZ’s signing this MOU was out of step with Australia (who refused to sign such an MOU) and India, Japan and the US.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/101721886/an-alternative-to-chinas-belt-road-initiative
This is why I had to vote Green in 2017.
If you followed the election campaign closely and the promises made by Jacinda and Labour, then there was no reason not to vote for Labour. They made all the right principled noises and sounded like they wanted to make positive change.
However there was always that suspicion that they are still the tired old mob from 1984.
And within 6 months they do this. Sign up to a treaty the marched on the streets against. Even worse than that they lied by claiming the minor adjustments were something they negotiated whereas now it seems the Tories had already negotiated everything.
This broken promise has left me deflated about this government.
I am going to increase my donations to the Green Party as they need to become much more influential heading into 2020.
Occidental v. Ecuador
In October 2012, an ICSID tribunal awarded a judgment of $1.8 billion for Occidental Petroleum against the government of Ecuador.[42] Additionally, Ecuador had to pay $589 million in backdated compound interest and half of the costs of the tribunal, making its total penalty around $2.4 billion.[42] The South American country annulled a contract with the oil firm on the grounds that it violated a clause that the company would not sell its rights to another firm without permission. The tribunal agreed the violation took place but judged that the annulment was not fair and equitable treatment to the company.[42]
Putting people’s fates into a bunch of lawyers is never a good idea. Law mostly benefits the rich.
Have a look at the Little vs Hagaman case. Even though Little was found not guilty, the Haganman went back for another trial.
In this way, it is not about a person (or country) being right or wrong when you are encouraging litigation, it is about power imbalances and using the law to imbalance, disrupt and scare freedom of speech, while delegating decision making to others to decide a person or (countries) fate.
It’s about to get a lot worse in NZ! Already the councils are out of control, imagine what they will do after this agreement is signed, more and more environmental degradation and decisions to empower rich and take and marginalise the poor.
Now they have an agreement for multinational chemical and oil companies among other’s, to join in the subjugation!
“Have a look at the Little vs Hagaman case. Even though Little was found not guilty, the Haganman went back for another trial.”
Little was damn lucky, he should have been found guilty, politicians have parliamentary privilege for this very reason
You are dead right and given the tax $$ of this TPP mess you can expect more tax gouging of the average Kiwi from the political parasites to pay for it all in years to come.
Socialism for the rich, capitalism for everyone else.
Perhaps we were all being naive after 30+ years of politicians ignoring the wishes of voters to think that the situation would suddenly, magically, be transformed after the recent election.
All this really proves is voting is participation in your own oppression and those of others. Suffice to say I’m done with these creeps for good unless by some miracle a group with integrity turns up but after all this time I wont hold my breath.
Somehow reminds me of the previous Labour / Douglas sell out. Fooled again.