Media Release: Prof. Jane Kelsey and prominent New Zealand actors, musicians and media commentators are calling for the government to release the draft text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
The 60 second video* will air for the first time on Tuesday 1 October and then in various formats on electronic and social media.
The video supports an electronic petition for release of the text. The petition will run for six weeks, until 12 November, on www.itsnotright.org.nz.
Participating celebrities are, in order of appearance, Don McGlashan, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Russell Brown, Michele A’Court, Julia Deans, Moana Maniapoto, Michael Hurst, Willy Jackson, Te Radar and Simon Prast. More have offered to contribute over the six weeks the petition is running.
Media commentator Russell Brown says ‘I’m broadly in favour of multilateral trade agreements, but I don’t really regard TPP as trade pact.’
‘In the case of copyright law, we’re likely to be dragged back 10 years or more on issues like transient copying. New Zealand’s Parliament has generally dealt with these issues in an intelligent, open way – and it simply makes no sense to throw that away’.
Further, ‘I’m troubled by the lack of transparency in TPP negotiations. More so given that it seems likely New Zealand will be obliged by the agreement to roll back legal and regulatory positions that were forged in an open, democratic process.’
In similar vein, performer Michele A’Court says: ‘One of the things I love about democracy is that it is a conversation between us and our government. It doesn’t work if our government doesn’t invite us into the conversation. At that point, it’s not democracy. It’s that other thing.’
The video and petition coincide with meetings of the trade ministers and leaders from the twelve TPPA countries over the next week on the margins of the annual APEC summit being held in Bali.
Well done you guys . Trust the Artists to lead the Planners out of the shit they got us all in to .
Regardless of the fact that a bunch of media celebrities opinion should hold no more or less weight than anyone else what actual benefit would knowing this information give people at this time?
The agreement has yet to be agreed upon. Once it has then people will get to have their say on it via the usual ratification process that it will have to undertake via the parliamentary process. There will be plenty of time to bitch and moan and call for changes at that stage.
@Gosman
You’re right about the entertainment celebrities, with the exception that the copyright enforcement in the TPPA is supposed to protect their industries, so having them speak out is a sign that they aren’t confident it will, or that the price for said protection is worth paying.
However, once the agreement text is concluded, whatever we might say about it through select committee hearings is irrelevant. At that point, the only decision that can be made is to sign it, or not to sign it. It is only by having the draft text available throughout the negotiating process that people can have input into shaping that text. This is how treaties which constrain future law-making by a democratic government should be negotiated – transparently, and democratically.
Absolutely! Go the artists!!!! and me, I’m an artist, lets kick the TPPA’s arse outta here and Jonky’s while we are at it… Take back democracy!
Thanks guys and girls. Your efforts are very much appreciated. In my book, you are all stars.
Good stuff you do realise though that Shonkey will tell you all that you are wrong and misinformed just like the Law Society ,Human Right Commision and Dame Anne Salmond with regards the GCSB Bill
Key has claimed on few occasions that, “New Zealanders have nothing to fear from the agreement”.
Well Johnny, if there is nothing to fear, then there is nothing to hide, right? Release the content then.
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