TPPA national day of action

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, November 13th, 2015 - 26 comments
Categories: democracy under attack, democratic participation, national/act government, notices - Tags:

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From itsourfuture.org.nz

14 November is another Nationwide Day of Action against the TPPA!

The political tradeoffs have been done and the text has now been sent to Tokyo to undergo the ‘legal scrubbing’ process. As we expected there are very few trade benefits, while the deal gives corporates and foreign investors a lot of power to run roughshod over our democracy.

But it hasn’t been signed, and the fight continues!

 

Day of Action Events Saturday 14 November

Kerikeri – 2:30pm at Kerikeri Library

Auckland – 1:00pm at Myers Park

Hamilton – 1:00pm by Cock and Bull Te Rapa

Tauranga – 11:00am at Red Square

Rotorua – 1:00pm, at the Village Green – Corner of Whakaue St and Memorial Drive

Gisborne – 12.30pm, at Elgin Shops

Palmerston North – 1:00pm, The Square

Wellington – 1pm at Midland Park

Nelson – 11am at 1903 Square – near the church steps

Christchurch – 2pm, Cathedral Square

Little River – 1pm, Craft Station

Timaru – 1pm, Bay Hill Piazza

Dunedin – 11am at the Railway Station

Invercargill – 1.30pm – 3pm, Invercargill Library Meeting Room, TPPA Public Meeting

26 comments on “TPPA national day of action ”

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  1. savenz 1
    13 November 2015 at 8:25 am

    +100

    This is the ‘springbok’ issue of our time! Be there in person to march for your rights.

    • northshoredoc 1.1
      13 November 2015 at 8:45 am

      No it isn’t the “springbok’ issue of our time and regardless i’ll be playing cricket with the oldies.

      • tracey 1.1.1
        13 November 2015 at 8:50 am

        I agree it isn’t being seen as the 81 Tour of our time. Your right to play cricket is secure.

      • Rosemary McDonald 1.1.2
        13 November 2015 at 9:36 am

        Actually northshoredoc…could you please list six benefits to New Zealand from the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement?

        You will note that the words “Free” and “Trade” do not feature in the title.

        So, please leave references to both out of your answer.

        Also…a few days ago, I asked you, as the resident medical expert about the WHO announcement that Roundup is a probable carcinogen.

        I expressed dismay that our government has not, as yet, issued any statements as how they are going to ensure that New Zealanders are kept safe from this widely and wildly used chemical.

        No response either to the studies I posted about occupational exposures and cancer in NZ.

        Thanks in advance.

        • Rosemary McDonald 1.1.2.1
          13 November 2015 at 9:40 am

          PS@northshoredoc.
          Make sure you wash your hands after handling your balls.:-)

        • ianmac 1.1.2.2
          13 November 2015 at 9:54 am

          I handled a lot of Roundup when assisting DOC on poisoning wilding pine clearance in the Sounds. It frequently covered my hands, lots of it. I believed it was non toxic. Hope it is cleared as a carcinogen.

          • Rosemary McDonald 1.1.2.2.1
            13 November 2015 at 10:06 am

            http://fortune.com/2015/04/15/roundup-monsanto-cancer-link-hard-to-prove/

            But….the stuff is ubiquitous.

            Most of us are getting a dose all the time….

          • Rosie 1.1.2.2.2
            13 November 2015 at 5:47 pm

            Hi ianmac. Roundup/glyphosate has been talked about for several decades as being carcinogenic. It’s only now that an official body is acknowledging it. Monsanto has been spectacularly successful at their PR around the safety vs toxicity of this herbicide, and silencing their critics.

            I never have and never would use it. If you do use it, wear gloves and preferably a mask. Wear enclosed footwear as well. If you do ever get it on your skin again, especially your hands, wash really well before handling food.

            Same goes for using any pesticide or herbicide. They’re not as benign as we’re led to believe.

            In fact one of our uni’s, can’t remember which one, is calling for participants who are farm and orchard workers who use agrichemicals so they can monitor their health and determine if their is a correlation between ill health and chemical use. This is already established overseas but it will be good to get NZ data.

            • Rosemary McDonald 1.1.2.2.2.1
              14 November 2015 at 8:37 am

              “In fact one of our uni’s, can’t remember which one, is calling for participants who are farm and orchard workers who use agrichemicals so they can monitor their health and determine if their is a correlation between ill health and chemical use. This is already established overseas but it will be good to get NZ data.”

              Massey University has done some good work on this….but as you say, very difficult because (as ACC says in the ACC paper I linked to below) the doctors are not asking the right questions.

              “Leukaemia and occupation: a New Zealand
              Cancer Registry-based case–control Study”

              David McLean,1
              * Andrea ’t Mannetje,1

              here…http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hans_Kromhout/publication/47460594_Lung_Cancer_and_Occupation_A_New_Zealand_Cancer_Registry-Based_Case-Control_Study/links/02e7e53849f48383df000000.pdf

              (I don’t know why it says “lung Cancer”…it is about leukaemia.

              • Rosie …
                14 November 2015 at 10:19 am

                Good find Rosemary. I think it might have been Massey that are looking for farm workers and orchard workers to participate in their study. I’m sure I saw it in the farming sector of stuffed.co.nz and went back to find it but now I can’t.

                I recall they aim to publish the study later next year.

                And as for the TPP, which Monsanto is tied up in, I won’t be able to make to the rally today. Boo Hoo.

                Have a great day out there everyone and watch out for cops with tasers. Seriously, stay safe.

        • northshoredoc 1.1.2.3
          13 November 2015 at 11:38 am

          Hi Rosemary

          I haven’t got the time or inclination to answer those questions, I’m also fairly certain you would discount any of my answers that didn’t agree with your own particular worldview.

          • Rosemary McDonald 1.1.2.3.1
            13 November 2015 at 12:54 pm

            “Hi Rosemary

            I haven’t got the time or inclination to answer those questions, I’m also fairly certain you would discount any of my answers that didn’t agree with your own particular worldview.”

            Try me.

            Attempt to alter my world view.

            Sell me on the idea of the TPPA.

            and….explain to me why even our Accident “no it isn’t it’s a pre-existing condition’ Compensation Corporation expressed confusion as to why more cancers and other blood diseases are not getting ACC cover.

            http://www.acc.co.nz/PRD_EXT_CSMP/groups/external_providers/documents/guide/dis_ctrb097503.pdf

            “Given the estimates of risk attributable to occupational
            exposures, it is likely that between 60 and 70 incident
            cases of leukaemia and NHL per annum are due to work. It
            has also been estimated that each year in New Zealand 28
            deaths from NHL and 30 from leukaemia are attributable to
            occupational exposures(5). Unless providers ask questions
            about occupational exposure when presented with this group
            of malignancies, the number of claims that are submitted
            and those that may then warrant entitlements will be small.
            ACC has received approximately 11 cases since 1998, which
            highlights the possible extent of under-diagnosis of the
            occupational origins of these diseases.
            Potential occupational causes should be considered in all
            presenting adult cases of these diseases, and detailed
            occupational histories should be taken to determine whether
            there has been plausible exposure to an agent or occupation
            associated with the diseases. If this is the case, a claim should
            be lodged with ACC and the relevance of the exposure can then
            be reviewed by occupational medicine specialists.”

            Now, how does this particular issue relate to the TPPA?

            One day, and maybe we will have a change of government…one that wants to seriously and sincerely address the health issues that are affecting our people…those in authority will say…

            “Enough…there is sufficient evidence to determine these substances ARE harmful and we must regulate their use accordingly.”

            Cue…NZ being sued in the ISD Tribunal…secretly of course…for passing legislation in order to protect the health of our people that curtails a chemical company’s ability to make profit.

            • Wayne 1.1.2.3.1.1
              14 November 2015 at 8:19 am

              Seriously Rosemary,

              Are you really amenable to changing your view on TPP? I would suggest not, any more than you could persuade me to change my view.

              Posts here are not about changing the views of the regular posters, more about those who read, but don’t post.

              Also to simply state a different view so The Standard is not a complete echo chamber. I presume that is why people from the Left post on Kiwiblog as well, though that does not happen on Whaleoil, presumably because it is too forthrightly on the right.

              • Rosemary McDonald …
                14 November 2015 at 8:30 am

                Wayne…perhaps YOU could list six benefits of the TPPA for New Zealand, without using the words “free” and “trade”?

                Its not about ‘changing one’s world view’….its about being informed, about listening to the other side’s views.

                So far, I haven’t read anything from the pro TPPA group that clearly lists the positive points.

                There’s plenty of clearly laid out concerns from the “misinformed, politically irrelevant”.

          • Paul 1.1.2.3.2
            13 November 2015 at 6:18 pm

            No inclination
            No time
            or no actual argument?

            Still struggling to see one argument in favour that favours ordinary New Zealanders.
            Can you enlighten me of one?
            How does your average ‘Kiwi’ gain from this, northshore?

    • millsy 1.2
      13 November 2015 at 9:46 am

      And John Key is firmly placing himself on the side of those who sat on the stands at that cancelled match in 81. Those who were willing to pelt women, children and aged with bottles, etc because they couldn’t watch the match. To Key, that is the only NZ that matters. Everyone else can go and fuck themselves.

    • savenz 1.3
      14 November 2015 at 9:32 am

      I see a lot of trolls trying to divert the topic.

      http://canadians.org/blog/who-director-general-criticizes-trans-pacific-partnership

      “The World Health Organization director-general has criticized the Trans-Pacific Partnership for its impact on drug costs.”

      Margaret Chan said she has “some very serious concerns” about the TPP and that, “If these agreements open trade yet close the door to affordable medicines we have to ask the question: is this really progress at all”. She added, “Can you bear the cost of $1,000 for a pill to treat Hepatitis C? Unless we get these prices down many millions of people will be left behind.”

      “Council of Canadians health care campaigner Michael Butler has noted, “It is estimated that changes to patent protection for pharmaceutical drugs in CETA alone could end up costing our public health care system anywhere between $850 million to $1.65 billion annually. Our costs will increase for biologics under the TPP too. In 2010, biologics comprised over 14 percent of the Canadian pharmaceutical market and cost the Canadian health care system more than $3 billion a year; biologics are expected to grow to approximately 20 percent of the market over the next decade.”

  2. Penny Bright 2
    13 November 2015 at 9:21 am

    In terms of the potential impact on New Zealand, in my view, the TPPA has far more significant implications than the 1981 Springbok Tour?

    I strongly urge as many people as possible STAND UP – on the streets – to be counted, against the TPPA, which has NOT yet been signed!

    Penny Bright

    (Named as a ‘subversive’ in Muldoon’s SIS of 1981 Springbok Tour activists).

  3. ianmac 3
    13 November 2015 at 11:55 am

    A very tiny group of us will meet in Seymour Square in Blenheim Saturday midday. We have left it too late of course but we will meet to discuss future action. The TPP is huge so I think we should decide on one compelling issue and research that for next rime.
    Anyone out there in Blenheim is welcome.

    • Potato 3.1
      13 November 2015 at 4:19 pm

      Ian, its never too late and we all do what we can. The polies and ministries might be going on holiday soon but the summer is a great time for us to get together in our communities and talk, plan, share ideas and info. Many of us are also joining the Climate Change marches at the end of the month to push the fact that tackling CC will be so much harder under the TPPA.

  4. upnorth 4
    14 November 2015 at 8:55 am

    I see the latest Roy Morgan polls are ok – no bounce for Labour and even worst there is a major uplift in confidence on way the country was going which is a very good endorsement on TTPA.

    Guess we have mis read the public sentiments again