TPPA protests Saturday

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, November 7th, 2014 - 49 comments
Categories: activism, International, trade - Tags: , ,

There are protests against the TPPA nation wide on Saturday.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION: KIWIS FIGHT BACK!

On 8 November 2014 Kiwis will kickstart the global day of action against the TPPA. TPPA poses an enormous threat to NZ’s ability to regulate for itself, and gives foreign investors and multinationals new rights to control our laws.

Click to join us in: AucklandHamiltonRaglanTaurangaRotoruaNew PlymouthNapierPalmerston NorthLevinWellingtonNelsonChristchurchTimaruDunedin, and Invercargill.

See Prof Kelsey’s piece on The Daily Blog for more.

tppa-protest

49 comments on “TPPA protests Saturday ”

  1. minarch 1

    http://www.fishpond.co.nz/c/Toys/q/V+For+Vendetta+Mask


    [deleted]

    [lprent: One link was rather appropiate. The other violates policies on inciting violence – which could cause us legal issues. Both links have no explanation. ]

    • minarch 1.1

      people dont wear masks to help old ladies across the road,

      at least be consistent if you cant manage anything else !

      • BM 1.1.1

        So, you’re going to take up arms?

        Or are you a typical lefty intellectual pussy who’ll call for revolution and then step back and expect others to bleed for the cause?

        • joe90 1.1.1.1

          He’s Loukanikos.

        • Tracey 1.1.1.2

          or are you like the righties who bay for war against isil but wont volunteer to do the fighting.

        • Minarch 1.1.1.3

          or am i a keyboard warrior like you BM ?

          You should be careful making judgments about people you know nothing about, if knew my history you would realise how wrong your judgement is..

          Infact I can guarantee if you we were standing face to face you wouldnt have dared said that

          In fact you would be feeling nervous, a little bit insecure in your masculinity because your far more scared than you think you should be, like i think you probably are most of the time

          Theres only one weakling here BM and it certainly isnt me…

          • Daveinireland 1.1.1.3.1

            “You should be careful making judgments about people you know nothing about, if knew my history you would realise how wrong your judgement is..”

            Go on then, enlighten us.

            • minarch 1.1.1.3.1.1

              Do i look as dumb as you sound Dave ?

              fool…

              [lprent: How would he know? 😈 Visual telepathy through the internet? This site doesn’t take and distribute photos, and your brown splotch of a gravator makes you look like something a newborn would excrete.

              I have to say that your statement makes you look pretty dumb to me.

              Fool.

              BTW: read the policy on pointless abuse. ]

  2. The Tiny Dot or why you have to come out tomorrow and participate in our democracy while you still can!

  3. Tracey 3

    soveriegn state
    NOT
    corporate bait

    rain or shine people. feet to the pavements, no excuses. democracy starts on the streets

  4. Potato 4

    Can I suggest that people take photos and video of the events they attend and send to media outlets, social media etc. This doesn’t end after the speeches

  5. Lan 5

    Do wonder if latest US elections will make a difference to Obama effect and so.. follower NZ? Any opinions on that?

  6. Scottie 6

    @minarch
    What possible good could come out of you posting a link to where to buy a folding slingshot?

    [lprent: Thank you for pointing that out. Someone being a fool. ]

  7. Penny Bright 7

    Where do the Labour Party leadership contenders stand on this politically PIVOTAL issue?
    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    FYI

    MEDIA ALERT: Penny Bright “Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement – TPPA ?

    What sort of ‘partnership’ excludes the public?

    Whose country is this?

    What happened to ‘the will of the people’ being the basis of the authority of Government?

    ‘Nothing to hide – nothing to fear?’

    SHOW US THE TPPA TEXT!

    If transparency would kill the TPPA – then surely – it deserves to die?

    http://www.nbr.co.nz/…/calls-tpp-transparency-are-code-dest…

    The TPPA is a corporate investor’s treaty – to look after the interests of big business.

    Haven’t the public learned after 30 years of global neo-liberal ‘Rogernomic$’ – that what is good for big business, is not usually good for the majority of us?

    So – who’s looking after the public interest?

    We – the public!

    Looking forward to seeing THOUSANDS of New Zealanders on the streets tomorrow, as we kick off the international day of action against this secretive TPPA – for which there is NO citizens’ mandate.

    ‘Where the people lead – the politicians will follow!’

    NO PUBLIC SAY – NO TPPA!

    (I’ll be speaking at the Hamilton rally.)

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/…/thousands-of-kiwis-plan-national-d…

    Events are planned in

    AUCKLAND (1pm at Aotea Square),

    HAMILTON (1pm at Garden Place)

    TAURANGA (1pm at Red Square),

    RAGLAN (10am at Raglan Jetty on Bow St),

    ROTORUA (1pm at Kuirau Park Courts),

    GISBORNE (1pm at Derby Street),

    NAPIER (1pm at Napier Council Steps – 231 Hasting Street),

    WANGANUI (11:00am at Majestic Square),

    NEW PLYMOUTH (1pm at Puke Ariki),

    PALMERSTON NORTH (1pm at The Square),

    LEVIN (11am at Te Takere Library/Community Centre),

    WELLINGTON (1pm at The Bucket Fountain),

    NELSON (1pm at Millers Acre i-SITE),

    CHRISTCHURCH (12:30pm at Shand Cres Park),

    TIMARU (1pm at Bay Hill Piazza),

    DUNEDIN (1pm next to the Otago Uni Dental School) and

    INVERCARGILL (1pm at Wachner Place).
    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’

    • Potato 7.1

      Penny, those links aren’t working

      • fisiani 7.1.1

        Amazing claims about the TPPA. Crying Wolf again. Which part of Tim Groser’s “We will not do a deal that is not in the best interest of New Zealand. ” is hard to understand? The TPPA , if it passes, will not reduce our sovereignty one bit. Crying Wolf too often gets ignored. The usual rabble will turn out at these meetings but the rest of NZ will throw another sausage on the barbie.

        • Tautoko Mangō Mata 7.1.1.1

          Investor-State Dispute Settlements, ISDS, are not imaginary pitfalls of these wrongly-named Free Trade Agreements. Just read this article, Fisi, about how Eli Lilly has been fighting the Canadian Government because of the ISDS clauses in the NAFTA agreement.

          http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/us-business/lilly-ramps-up-nafta-fight-over-loss-of-patents/article13223813/

          And if you think that this was a one off, then look at this list
          http://www.naftaclaims.com/disputes-with-canada.html
          http://www.naftaclaims.com/disputes-with-mexico.html

          The fact that the US is pushing for the ISDS in the US-European TTIP
          means that this will be the case for the TPPA also.
          “TTIP Under Threat: Senior US Trade Expert Warns Over Removal of ISDS from EU-US Trade Deal”
          http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ttip-senior-us-official-warns-over-removal-isds-eu-us-trade-deal-1473276
          Let’s show up, stand up and speak up tomorrow!

        • Macro 7.1.1.2

          “We will not do a deal that is not in the best interest of New Zealand. ”

          Groser can repeat that all he likes. We all understand the utterance – but if you believe it, you are a stupid fool! Groser may even believe it! In fact I think he does. But that only makes him an even bigger fool.

          These so called “Free trade” deals have been, and will ultimately be, the death of the neo-liberal capitalist economy. All countries involved – even the States, are dying a slow death caused by “Free Trade”. Having just visited the States and Canada it was eye opening to witness the truly serious levels of poverty existing in their major cities and in the country. My cousin works in an area educating children with special needs. She reports that in her city almost 95% of children live in low income households. There is severe unemployment and under-employment. Most employers now employ workers on a casual basis, part -time the preferred option with hours up to 29 hours a week on minimal wages of around $8 an hour. By not employing over 29 hours employers avoid having to contribute to superannuation. This is the fate of the large number of people in the States and to a lesser extent in Canada.
          For instance on the flight across Canada I sat next to the first woman Railroad engineer. She has 2 years to go before her retirement and can’t wait. It was interesting to listen to her story, as there has been a increase in fatalities and serious accidents on the rail net work in Canada in recent times. This is causing much concern. Rail road workers are now on call 24/7 and their numbers have been reduced by about half – the trains are increased in length to compensate and carry the freight but the result is exhausted workers operating highly dangerous machines with a consequential rise in accidents.

          These situations are the direct result of “Free trade” agreements. Such agreements not only allow the importation of cheap goods, they also have the effect of depressing wages and working conditions to be in line with the producers of the cheap goods. Furthermore, they export jobs offshore. That puts pressure on the economy to support “workers” no longer in production. It becomes a downward spiral and NZ is still in it, and will not get out of the descent until either a government wakes up to the idiocy of “free trade”, or we end up with slave factories as in china india and indonesia. i.e. back to the employment conditions of the 19 Century.

          I had the opportunity to read an excellent book on the subject whilst on my visit to Canada “Unequal Freedoms: The Global Market as an Ethical System” By John McMurtry an introduction is here: https://www.morehouse.edu/facstaff/chewitt/Political%20Sociology%20Web%20Files/Unequal%20Freedoms%201-18.pdf
          Note – this was written in 1998 – Nothing has changed except inequality has increased as the “global” economy has expanded.

        • lprent 7.1.1.3

          Right now it is hard to see how any part of the deal will do anything for NZ both in the short and long term. It is quite apparent that adding japan has made the whole thing daft and unworkable.

          So why are we still proceeding. Tim Groser’s pride? John Key’s need to add to his picture album?

        • Tracey 7.1.1.4

          the bit about what groser defines as the best interests of nz.

          did you join up to fight ISIL, or are you, as BM, puts it a right wing cry pussy who demands deaths but someone else to do the fighting.

  8. Aerobubble 8

    International agency declares self-suffiency in energy asap.
    Some govts ratchet back incentives for renewables.
    Companies invested heavily in research see their profits slashed.
    Its not to hard to fathom. Big money phoned big govt in order to buy
    Into solar, force a few to the wall, pickup their IP, or force refinancing.
    See, that’s the thing with capitalism, small government parties are more corruptable.
    But worse in NZ, where we know a local supplier of electricity isn’t using the network, so the idea that power companiesshould pay the same rate as their thermal or hydro, as that capacity is at the othef end of the network is an abuse of economic power.
    When I am supplied by my next door neighbor the lines company is charging me still for the entire network, that subsidises the hydro transmission. Now TTP will give those electricity companies the power to sue government that remove their profitability, wtf.

  9. Potato 9

    An interesting comment regarding the costs of medicines if this thing goes ahead from a Malaysian newspaper…

    http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/new-tppa-leak-shows-medicines-could-become-unaffordable-say-dap-mp-ngo

    (post changed as I added the wrong link. Fridayitis ! )

  10. fisiani 10

    Wow – 1000 Leftists getting laughed at all over the country. Thousands of hours of activist time making them feel morally superior for a few hours but dismissed as the lunatic fringe and ignored by the media or worse reported with disdain.
    Meanwhile we closer and closer to Free Trade deals with Korea, Russia, India and Latin America and hopefully a fantastic TPPA.

    • b waghorn 10.1

      That’s the problem ‘hopefully’ guess we’ll find out were trader johns loyalty is if it go ‘s through cause he’s keeping kiwis in the dark

    • Tracey 10.2

      is that the russia that invaded a foreign state, arent you wanting us to declare war on them rather than trade with them.

      tpp is not a free trade agreement. a simple concept to grasp you would think.

      • Draco T Bastard 10.2.1

        tpp is not a free trade agreement.

        None of them are – they’re free-capitalist agreements. If it was only about trade then all that would need doing is the dropping of tariffs. Instead we get rules about banking, free money transfer between countries, rules on IP, rules on what businesses can or can’t be done by government, rules preventing government from doing anything for their people and rules allowing foreign ownership and more. The removal of tariffs is almost incidental.

  11. millsy 11

    Fisi – do you support corporations being able to sue governments for legislating in the interests of their own poeple.

    And have you stopped your workers from having lunch yet?

  12. millsy 12

    Fisi – do you support corporations being able to sue governments for legislating in the interests of their own poeple.

    And have you stopped your workers from having lunch yet?

  13. fisiani 13

    Was that it?? A few hundred rent a mob scruffs with a few misleading banners. That will really change hearts and minds NOT. National is focusing on the issues that really matter. Twyford trying and failing to bash the government over the ratio of exports and protesters opposing a massive potential growth in exports for New Zealand. New Zealand lives by exports. Free trade deals help our exports. Access to bigger markets is the key to future and even greater prosperity. How dare NZ be prosperous. Prosperity renders the Left even more impotent and irrelevant. We are on the cusp of the golden economic weather. Grant Robertson has warmed the Opposition benches for 6 years. He will still warm them till he retires or is deselected.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11355472

    • Tracey 13.1

      you finally overdosed on right wing slogans…

    • karol 13.2

      Turnout in Auckland was pretty big.

      RNZ tweet with photo:

      The rally before the demo in Aotea Square Auckland.

      • fisiani 13.2.1

        Nowhere near as big a crowd as for the most important thing -the fireworks.

      • Tracey 13.2.2

        i thought there were more than at the last one. and i say again hoorah for the passion and simply articulated arguments of dayle takitimu.

        women were strong leaders in the anti nuclear movement, and they are prominent again in auckland on the tpp.

        note. i am not intending to denigrate male contributions to this cause.

    • Draco T Bastard 13.3

      And Fisi wanders in with his lies and misdirections.

    • Potato 13.4

      Poor Fisi, did no-one show for your BBQ ?
      Yes, some in NZ are doing very well but that small group are living like greedy parasites sucking the lifeblood out of this country. I just wonder why you post ? Is it because you hate people who care about everyone or fear that we might be right.

      • fisiani 13.4.1

        I was on the Left as a teenager. I grew up. Labour preaches that it cares for the poor but it only cares for their votes. National is actually caring for the poor. Unemployment is just 5.4% and falling. Thousands that used to be on a benefit are finding work. Kiwis are flocking home. Look at the way National standards are loved by parents. Talk to the people who gained a job due to the 90 day right to prove yourself law. Pensions and benefits rise every year. The state housing stock has been insulated. Children will not have to pay to see a doctor. Oil exploration could bring thousands of jobs and today has brought great news.
        The Left protest at every reform, every step of progress and every improvement. That tells me that they do not care for the poor. They need the poor as voting fodder. I hate no one in New Zealand. I know that the Left are wrong. Leftism is a 20th century dinosaur that does not realise yet that it is extinct. National have far more Maori MP’s than any other party. National is the party of the people. It is a broad church. I cannot understand why some teenagers seem to get stuck in adolescent political opinions. It is curable. You’ll probably find out one day.

        • Murray Rawshark 13.4.1.1

          All the state houses are insulated:
          http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10716330/The-slums-of-Jebson-Pl

          Shame you didn’t grow out of telling lies.

        • Potato 13.4.1.2

          Wow, where do I start !! Oil exploration that could cost us thousands if they damage our environment, the parents and teachers who don’t like national standards. insulated state houses (should improve their market value when sold) and those selfish parents who’ve been making their kids pay for doctors visits. 90 day trials means the same person could come off the benefit at least 3 times a year and those benefit rises aren’t covering the additional costs that are going to pay CEO bonuses etc. Sorry, you don’t convince me.
          And FYI, I’d rather be a fire engine than an ambulance when I grow up ;P

  14. weka 14

    Giovanni Tiso ‏@gtiso 9 mins9 minutes ago
    Seems a good day to repost the positions of the aspiring Labour leaders on the TPP. Still missing: @DavidParkerMP

    https://twitter.com/gtiso/status/530927203635040256

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