A story appeared on Politik yesterday (16 July) by Richard Harman headlined ‘Why Labour might reluctantly support the TPP’, claiming that Labour was unlikely to oppose the final deal.
Whether this is Harman’s spin, in an attempt to influence Labour thinking and others’ expectations, or reflects the real disposition of caucus after its Rotorua meeting on Monday is impossible for an outsider to tell.
Whichever, it is a timely rallying call – just ten days out from the make-or-break ministerial meeting in Maui – to bring strong and urgent pressure on Labour MPs to make sure they don’t sell out the Party’s own policy on the TPPA, let alone the ability of future governments to act in the interest of New Zealanders rather than mega-corporations.
Some of Harman’s content is plain wrong. He suggests Labour would accept 70 years for patents – something way beyond Big Phrma’s wildest dreams! Presumably Harman means accepting a life-plus-70 years monopoly for copyright, which is 20 years more than now; that has nothing to do with medicines. Groser seems likely to accept life+70 and effectively circumvent the copyright law review that was postponed several years ago – more concrete evidence of how Disney, IBM, and fellow US corporations are rewriting our domestic laws.
The article is built around David Parker’s reported view that voting against the TPPA would be ‘a step too far’. Parker claims that Labour can’t make a final decision until it sees the fine print. That is disingenuous, at best. He knows the fine print won’t be made public until the deal is done, and consensus of the other 11 parties would be needed to reopen its terms. So, in effect, he is accepting the government’s right to decide the deal, sight unseen by Labour or anyone else.
Intentionally or not, Parker’s reported comments are a clever double speak, which people need specialist knowledge to decode. For example, he says Labour won’t countenance any erosion of the powers of Pharmac. But it’s not Pharmac’s powers that are at stake. It is the combination of stronger monopolies over medicines through patents and control of data, which make medicines more expensive and limits access to generics, and more rights for drug companies to influence the decision making processes.
Together, those provisions will undermine Pharmac’s ability to exercise of its powers to greatest effect and continue the practices that saved Kiwi taxpayers $6 billion over the past decade. It would be good to hear from Parker how Labour would make up that shortfall – more public money for the meds budget, either from other parts of the health system or other spending, that goes straight into Phrma’s pockets? Or higher co-payments for prescriptions? Or fewer subsidised medicines?
As for Parker’s reported weasel words on ISDS – Labour would not agree to government being ‘inappropriately being at risk of being sues for proper regulation’. Elsewhere he’s said Labour would accept an agreement without ISDS, but not that Labour would oppose one that contains it.
Labour would apparently oppose a TPPA that limits the government’s ability to regulate for environment, public health, safety or competition policy. It’s obvious the Agreement will do that. Leaked texts show New Zealand has agreed to such provisions, and we know the US will never accept even the weak general exception on public health and environment applying to the investment or IP chapters. So why the prevarication?
It seems that Parker’s only real concern is over foreign investment in land. He seems determined to maintain an ostrich-like position, claiming that the China FTA (for which he claims some responsibility) preserves New Zealand’s policy options. Numerous people, including myself, have explained to him why that’s not so. Even if you could argue that for the original China FTA, subsequent agreements with Taiwan and Korea have effectively negated m those protections.
The counter-balance that anticipates economic gains is equally flawed. Parker points out that the parties comprise 40% of the world’s GDP. That is frankly irrelevant if tariffs do not fall in any meaningful way. Latest information leads us to expect Japan will use the similar smoke and mirrors to its 2014 deal with Australia. Tariff rate quotas for dairy products are likely to cap lower tariffs at or near New Zealand’s current export levels, will not include whole milk powder, and contain safeguards that allow Japan to reinstate if the changes impact negatively on its domestic dairy industry.
The Australian Productivity Commission recently concluded that the costs of the TPPA are likely to outweigh the benefits. There will be no independent cost benefit analysis that allows us to show this until it is too late. Labour can’t simply hide behind a fictional right of input in the future to give its de facto support to the agreement.
We’re past the time to play these silly and dangerous word games.
On 28 July the TPPA ministers will meet in Maui to do the deal, unless we can prevent them or at Groser from doing so. Originally scheduled for two days, the ministerial has been extended to four so they have time to close it off. The list of political issues they need to decide is shrinking all the time – a couple of investment issues, a few on medicines (especially a three year extension before generic producers can access information on new generation biologics), whether governments can create new SOEs in the future, and the final market access trade-offs on agriculture.
USTR Michael Froman (the US trade minister) has been quietly travelling the region, doing side deals to ease the way for the ministerial. If there is anything left they can’t sort out, leaders of the 12 countries will be meeting in New York in early September, and Obama can work his charm on the rest of them. Fancy a game of golf, anyone?
Doctors for Healthy Trade, the unions, and Itsourfuture, among others will be upping the ante over the next week.
What can you do? First up, ring your local and list Labour MPs at their office and at Parliament, ask them if they are going to oppose the TPPA, and make it clear that it will cost them at the next election if they do. Then check the itsourfuture.org.nz website for ongoing action in your region and nationally.
I ask the questions: Who is really behind the TPPA and why secretive? Why is John Key secretive about his meetings with the secretive Bilderberg Group, and secretive about the The Club of Rome – Committee of 300?
So many secrets!!!
Let’s take a look at the 21 goals of the secretive Committee of 300. We might be able to bring all these secrets into the Light.
Fucking conspiracy theorists just divert attention from legitimate concerns like those of the TPPA that Kelsey has raised numerous times.
The fact some of these ‘ conspiracy theory’s ‘ are a little more in depth and of a more root cause – whilst the TTPA is a symptom of the aforesaid….
Does not mean that they are simply and merely ‘conspiracy theories’ at all.
However for the sake of the pragmatics of this article and dealing with the issues at hand – that of the immediate concerns of the implementing of the TTPA – while acknowledging the validity of other data we need also to focus on effective ways of neutralizing the TTPA as our first port of call.
Occam’s Razor is usually sufficient to cut to ribbons any conspiracy theory by itself.
The great thing about conspiracy theories though is that no matter what evidence you provide conspiracy theorists will never be shaken in their beliefs because those beliefs aren’t reliant on evidence.
Which is precisely the methodology used by the current govt which appeals to low voter concentration span and a media that conveys what this govt wants presented.
One of the things we learn in this world when we grow up is that not all people have our best interests at heart.
So you are saying that conspiracy theorists and the National government have a lot in common?
Well they both believe in things that aren’t backed by evidence, so I would agree.
Conspiracy theory.
The difference between conspiracy theory and an actual conspiracy is evidence.
Not whether it was conducted during a skydive or in a room.
” The “globalism” that is hyped in the West is inconsistent with Washington’s unilateralism. No country with assets inside the Western system can afford to have policy differences with Washington. The French bank paid the $9 billion fine for disobeying Washington’s dictate of its lending practices, because the alternative was the close down of its operations in the United States. The French government was unable to protect the French bank from being looted by Washington.
It is testimony to the insouciance of our time that the stark inconsistency of globalism with American unilateralism has passed unnoticed. ” Paul Craig Roberts
Basically the TPPA is a tool of U$ hegemony or the Wolfowitz doctrine which aims to make the U$ the dominant World Power. If we buy the TPPA we’ll in effect have confirmed our vassal status to the U$ and its corporate elites we’ll be open to sanctions if we ever want to break free and have an independent foreign and domestic policy. That’s ok by Key he made his lucre pile working in U$ business.
Well, if Labour vote in favour of this Bill, they will NEVER get another vote from any of my family and most friends again – ever. They can consider themseves just another authoritarian right wing party with no intention of standing up for the ordinary person, and will hopefully shrivell up and die, to be replaced by a party that actually cares.
If it goes ahead, make no mistake it is 99.99% National’s fault.
They are in power JONL, along with Maori Party, ACT and Peter Dunne’s Party.
I agree that Labour need to show some cochones and make a stand against the secret deal that is the TPPA. The bullshit mantra of the right that echoed Goebbels stating “if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear”, should really be applied in this case to the terms of the TPPA, should it not?
Why the secrets National? Apply your own flawed logic used with the GCSB Bill to the TPPA or wear the tag of hypocrites for selling the sovereignty of New Zealand for a few pieces of silver.
And Labour, if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything and you’re just a pale blue/maroon version of National.
Agree totally. The TTPA is the proverbial ‘line in the sand’ for many core Labour supporters, and for a large number of rank and file Labour Party members.
Also, the TTPA is a ‘touchstone’ issue for Labour, in that, if they end up supporting it, it will clearly demonstrate that the Labour MPs still have not moved on from Rogernomics, and the ghosts of Roger and Richard still haunt the Labour Party. It is time for Labour to, finally, totally repudiate Rogernomics and neoliberalism: failure to do so will cost them dearly.
The TPPA was initiated by Helen Clark. I think it’s highly unlikely for this leopard to change its spots, unfortunately. Labour and National are just cosmetically different brand of the same deadly toxic neo liberal ideology.
Wow Tuan, that’s a long bow to draw. Helen Clarke eh? I knew that the bogey woman or Labour, or communists would get the blame for this. Even Rob Muldoon and the tooth fairy next. Where did she start it Area 51. Was it under a painting she fraudulently signed? Was it written on a GE piece of corn? Is she really a reptile from another planet?
National are in power now Tuan. NATIONAL, Grosser and grosser that you are trying to pass the buck for this desovereignty-TPPA bullshit onto straw men (and women)
From Wikipedia:
Phil Goff launched the expansion of the P-4 to include the US. Hence they have an historic allegiance to it. Some describe the Labour caucus’s unwillingness to take a position against TPPA as out of respect to Goff. If true, it showed how the Rogernomes still hold sway, and the need for the caucus to get a spine.
Isn’t the reality, that NOTHING is going to prevent Groser from closing this deal in Maui. Short of physically preventing him from getting on the plane!! No protests, letters, or bodies representing professionals have made a blind scrap of difference to the direction groser and Co have been heading. Why, because TPPA has been conducted out of the glare of public scrutiny, and the only people with power to change anything are those colluding to sign it off. Thanks Jane Kelsey, for your continued energy in speaking out and educating people like myself. Paul Craig Roberts described the ‘trade deal’ status of the TPPA as a cover to enable the Executive to bypass the legislators in enacting this deal. The terminology of a ‘Trade Deal’ in this case is a fraudulent misnomer, designed to enable the Corporates to side step the democratic process completely. Why has the legitimacy of the TPPA as a Trade Agreement not been challenged in this context? Just because they’re calling an apple an orange doesn’t make it an orange. Why does everyone persist in calling it an orange? It hasn’t helped in getting the message out there to try and open people’s eyes to the fact that this is anything but a traditional trade Deal. Couldn’t some legal action have been taken in this respect? Challenging the very definition of the TPP as a Trade Deal. I’m no lawyer however.
John Key attends the Bilderberg (statement of fact). That secretive group has set 21 goals. Is this goal No. 19?
Just asking :/
The Key family are in Maui or were, Key will sign or possible has already,NZ means nothing to him, all our protests dont even register with him.Keys goal is to please the elite not us .Pity his supporters don’t wake up to the fact, he will not care one bit for them either.
You know it strikes me …that NO govt …can have the final say on issues of sovereignty.
Govts come and govts go…and because of this…is a fluid situation. What isn’t..is the democratic vote based on a constitution.Any govt is subservient to that constitution.
If that is so… then we as a people are under no obligation to suffer circumstances brought on by the mechanisms of one govt in one point of time.
And the leverage used as a bargaining tool?
The USA knows only too well that we , New Zealand ,…are being courted by their biggest rival.
China.
Now…the ideal is that this TTPA falls over.
Failing that we need a plan B as it were…
And the leverage used with China?….well…they seem to be suffering some sort of economic problems now , are they not?….so much so they are giving their nationals low interest rates to travel overseas and convert cash into tangible assets…
A situation here in NZ that cant be sustained…and yet they still want influence here as a bulwark against the USA’s regional interests of hegemony …
It seems for any political group who is bold enough to assert themselves that right here is a way forwards on this…
We are beholding to no one. And that should be the attitude.
We have far more bargaining power than those currently in govt would like us to know.
We ARE NOT some feckless , hapless little country on the periphery of the South Pacific – we are an important strategic land sandwiched between two big dogs who are waging a geopolitical silent campaign against each other.
It is time we gained a real sense of common identity and self empowerment with these big dogs and started asserting ourselves and driving a hard bargain to boot.
One that serves our greater interests and not just theirs.
If anyone from the Labour Party reads this – if you want my vote then openly state now that the Labour Party rejects the TPPA. Take this country BACK for the people of NEW ZEALAND!
Agree with Kapito.
This TPPA is the worst. NZ will suddenly be run by american laws preventing our freedom for our ‘protection’…
I believe that we will start dealing with tons of $USD transactions… And when they bring down their economy (the USA government owes so much money to the privately run Federal Reserve)… It will take us, Asia, the eurozone (They have an agreement in the works too apparently….) and our mates in Aus… We will be defunct and in crisis… And suddenly we will have a new currency…. And a new System…
It is actually happening……
Prepare.
What about the Treaty of Waitangi??
Wouldn’t we be able to gain some sovereignty back??
Even if the original Treaty is missing half of it… The half that is important…
Thank God some Maori are challenging it through the courts.
China is not running on empty, America would have the world believe that, the same way they blame Russia for the Ukraine situation.
The Brics countries now have many countries joining their alliance,Australia , France , Uk, etc etc except NZ even though Key has agreed to support the banks of Russia and China
The TTPA is being rushed through even though most countries are not in favour,the corporations and their banks think they have the money to force it through.
Grosser is the one in the firing line but we all know its Key obeying his Masters, Grosser is put in the firing line ,when the probervial hits the fan, Key never fronts up if he can put someone else up to take the blame.
The BRICS alliance will be much stronger than the American one,if the corporations get their way before the BRICs can stop them it might be unstoppable.
The best thing i can think of is if a group can send a letter to Mr Putin and to Chinas president asking them to look into the problem although im sure they are aware of whats happening ,but if we can convince them that NZ dosnt want to be forced into it by a puppet of the corporations and banks,they might do something ,its a chance and a hope.
America is very nervous of Russia and China banding together they might think twice about the deal.
Not a conspiricy theory Korakys but an idea,we have to try everything we can.
Now the government are sneaking in GM trees despite councils rejecting them .
Monsanto is in NZ and Key is giving them their own way. Beware the food chain is next.
These buggers are going for it – getting as much done as they can while the populace dozes.
Its simple – neoliberalism is the problem. Its a rightwing ideology that is unashamedly pro-corporate, profit-over-everything. Our biggest challenges as a society stem from the issues it has left in its wake. Until labour completely denounce it they cannot be trusted. Do not vote for neoliberals. It is simply asking for more of the same.
Labour is toast if they support TPPA. They have to reject it in it’s entirety as a secret trade deal that has gone too far. Grow a spine and stop the spin and Reject TPPA publicly not just some parts of it.
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