Angeline Greensill Mana candidate in the 2014 general election, reported that, “the application by Maori (including herself) to the Waitangi Tribunal, claims TPP will breach the Government’s commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi.”
Local residentEvelien Gilbert talked on the larger agenda and explained to the assembled, “that the FIRE economy – Finance, Insurance and Real Estate, is being promoted, whereby the real physical economy based in traded goods, is replaced by speculation, derivatives and real estate bubbles.”
Evelien said “the loss of our manufacturing sector places most New Zealanders in the precariat* class. Ev said that TPP will exacerbate this unhealthy and inequitable trend.”
Greg Rzesniowiecki of TPP Action gave an outline of TPP stating, “that TPP is nearing its endgame as the negotiators from the 12 nations meet at the end of this month in Hawaii. The TPP Ministers meet from the 27th to the 31st July, hoping to reach a political settlement. Where is the free trade advantage for New Zealand’s producers?”
“We will be told we have to pay more for a host of goods and services impacting everyone’s already stretched budget.”
Greg reported, “Minister Groser has acknowledged there is no deal for our dairy industry for tariff free access into the USA, Canada or Japanese markets. USA dairy producers are dumping milk as they cannot sell their own**.”
Greg further reported on the campaign to lobby the TPP policy solution onto New Zealand’s local councils, saying, “Eleven Councils representing 60% of the NZ population have adopted the TPP policy.”
Greg said after the meeting that, “he appreciated the support from Raglan and the earlier meeting in Hamilton Wednesday night to offer the policy to the Waikato District Council, along with Hamilton and the Regional councils.”