TPP Action’s Greg Rzesniowiecki has been asked by the local Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) group to tell Raglan Community Board about their request for support from the Board at its meeting in the Town Hall Supper Room on Tuesday evening. Greg said he was really impressed with the support from the Raglan community, which had over 300 marching on Bow St last year. He hoped they might come to the 5.30pm public forum to show their continued support.
Greg will be asking that Raglan Community Board supports the Council making a statement along the lines of a model draft (see below), which has already been supported by a dozen other councils. A petition in support of the draft was presented to Waikato District Council during their Long Term Plan hearings. Their response was –
Waikato District Council support the stance taken by Local Government New Zealand who have expressed the concerns of the sector around the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement. The response of the Minister is that no agreement has been concluded and the impacts on local government is likely to be a lot less than originally feared. The government is not seeking to bind local government without consultation or discussion.
TPP Action hopes that they will go further and support the full text –
TPPA policy solution -Waikato District Council
That Waikato District Council encourages the government to conclude negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Free Trade Agreements in a way that provides net positive benefits for the Waikato region and New Zealand, that is, provided the Partnership and Agreements achieve the following objectives:
Continues to allow the Waikato District Council and other Councils, if they so choose, to adopt procurement policies that provide for a degree of local preference; to choose whether particular services or facilities are provided in house, by council- controlled organisations (CCOs) or by contracting out; or to require higher health and safety, environmental protection, employment rights and conditions, community participation, animal protection or human rights standards than national or international minimum standards;
Maintains good diplomatic and trade relations and partnerships for the Waikato region and New Zealand with other major trading partners not included in the agreement including with China
Provides substantially increased access for our agriculture exports, particularly those from the Waikato region into the US Market;
Does not undermine PHARMAC, raise the cost of medical treatments and medicines or threaten public health measures, such as tobacco control;
Does not give overseas investors or suppliers any greater rights than domestic investors and suppliers such as through introducing Investor-State Dispute Settlement, or reduce our ability to control overseas investment or finance;
Does not expand intellectual property rights and enforcement in excess of current law;
Does not weaken our public services, require privatisation, hinder reversal of privatisations, or increase the commercialization of Government or of Waikato District Council or other local government organisations
Does not reduce our flexibility to support local economic and industry development and encourage good employment and environmental practices and initiatives like the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs which enable marginalised young people to develop their skills and transition into meaningful employment;
Contains enforceable labour clauses requiring adherence to core International Labour Organisation conventions and preventing reduction of labour rights for trade or investment advantage;
Contains enforceable environmental clauses preventing reduction of environmental and biosecurity standards for trade or investment advantage;
Has general exemptions to protect human rights, the environment, the Treaty of Waitangi, and New Zealand’s economic and financial stability;
Has been negotiated with real public consultation including regular public releases of drafts of the text of the agreement, and ratification being conditional on a full social, environmental, and economic impact assessment including public submissions.