Ever heard Lori Wallach talk about the stark realities of US politics on the TPPA? If you have, you won’t want to miss her again! If you haven’t, this is a once in a lifetime chance to hear her on how the US and its corporate lobby stitched us up, and sold out ordinary Americans as well. (for Lori’s bio – see here)
Can the US Congress stop the deal? Will the US Congress stop the deal?
What happens if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency? Or Donald Trump (assuming that is worse … which it has to be)
Are US politicians serious that they will rewrite the deal after it is signed by setting rules for ‘implementation’? What would that mean for Kiwis?
Lori is arriving Tuesday morning for a speaking tour starting Tuesday night 7pm at the Auckland Town Hall in the lead-up to the planned signing in Auckland on 4 February. Then off around the country to Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin in a whirlwind tour. Sponsors (so far) are Its Our Future, ActionStation, and New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, as well as great local anti-TPPA groups.
Now is the time to get out there and be visible in your opposition. WE NEED YOU THERE TO FILL THE TOWN HALL and show the government and corporate beneficiaries we don’t want a bar of their TPPA!
Lori’s the star attraction but there’s more … a panel of pollies telling us what they don’t like about the deal and why. And I will update on the new expert papers on the Treaty, Economics and the Environment, as well as papers on the Impacts on Democratic Process and Investment (see tpplegal.owrdpress.com)
Want to know what Labour really thinks about the TPPA? Grant Robertson, their economic spokesperson, will be flying straight up from Labour’s annual caucus retreat to tell us. Let’s hope we will hear something with a bit more guts than the parliamentary caucuses (not) red line ‘five principles’.
New Zealand First, Greens and the Maori Party have all been staunch. Winston’s got his state of the nation speech on Tuesday and sends his apologies, but trade spokesperson Fletcher Tabuteau will take his place.
Co-leader Marama Fox will front for the Maori Party, and Metiria Turei for the Greens. Two powerful Maori women from parties that have been stalwart critics of the deal.
Another wahine toa Moana Maniapoto will MC the event.
If you really can’t make it, the meeting will be fed live through Daily Blog.
An Auckland town hall event is really expensive, so we also need big donations at the event – there will be EFTPOS. The GCSB meeting in 2013 raised around $12k and we need at least that much again.
Those who can’t make it, please donate generously generously through the Give-a-Little page set up to help fund opposition over the next few months . The coffers are pretty currently bare!
And sign the TPPA Don’t Sign petition – now at 38,000
‘to help fund opposition over the next few months’
There is plenty of evidence that the global economic-financial system will not last more than a few more months.
For instance:
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/2016-market-meltdown-we-have-never-seen-a-year-start-quite-like-this
and
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-01-22/moodys-just-put-over-half-trillion-dollars-energy-debt-downgrade-review
and
http://shipandbunker.com/news/apac/695524-a-wave-of-bankruptcies-predicted-for-chinas-dry-bulk-shipping-sector-in-2016
and hundreds of other articles relating to numerous sectors.
It could well be that the TPPA has been timed to coincide with the global collapse in order to allow particular global corporations to profit from the collapse and profit from any new arrangements they intend to impose on compliant nations.
Even if the global economic-financial collapse does not come in the next few months, it will certainly come fairly soon because it is only money-printing, manipulation, fraud and lies that are holding the system together.
Hence John Key’s continuous lying.
Many of us have maintained that the worse everything gets, the bigger the lies told by politicians (and the corporate media). And, unsurprisingly, that is proving to be the case.
There is still about 550 billion of federal insurance to burn through. Max time to collapse 2 years
Online I read the federal reserve is broke and in six months will be bankrupt, they only have printed money,useless paper,then the banks will be broke as well ,so don’t know if the insurance will hold up,i think this was in geopolitics but cant be sure.
They only go broke if banks refuse to lend to each other, freezing credit. Otherwise the president can just ring Yellen and order her to wire him a trillion or to free of charge
I should say that the 550 billion in federal insurance back stops 1500 trillion worth of useless derevitives. That’s why we call banks to big to fail
I should also point out that there is a clause in the TPP’s financial services chapter that says parties can’t change banking laws or words to that effect.
Just to bring this all back to the original post a bit. That means the TPP locks in the financial booms and busts typified by the 2008 crises.
It’s an impressive line-up, and thank you Jane Kelsey for all your good work.
However, like AFEWKNOWTHETRUITH, I’m inclined to think that two or three years from now, when the TPPA conditions are supposed to begin to kick in, the world will be a totally different place from what it is today. And thus the TPPA will be completely irrelevant. In fact I seem to recall that posted a comment to this effect somewhere, some months ago (though I’m damned if I can remember exactly where or when).
There’s a caveat however: One should never underestimate the capacity of the Planet’s 1% to keep a failed (NOT “failing”, but absolutely “failed”) economic system limping along for their own benefit. After all, they have the money to pay for the best possible advice on how to achieve this. And up to this point, that advice seems to have kept their heads above water, alas!
So it all comes down to the question of “How soon?”.
Of course, the sooner the better, and in that sense, Professor Kelsey, you are absolutely correct in the course that you have so diligently pursued.
Thank you Jane. Key will have riot police,i expect he wants to show America that he has big guns as well.
Maybe Key should realise we don’t want a corporation man in charge of NZ but a decent leader who listens to the people.
Riot police for NZ !!!!!!!how ridiculous.
It’s typical of a dictator, to show his supporters he is a strong leader and galvanise the supporters against the left-wing rabble, with the help of a compliant media. Muldoon did it with Bastion Point, then the 1981 Springbok Tour.
The TPPA is being signed before Parliament has had a chance to debate it, and for the chance for Key to foam at the mouth and smear the Left side of the house again with ‘Get some guts’, or ‘Support rapists’, or ‘Anti-Trade loonies’.
A riot will be ‘facilitated’ at the signing at Skycity and Key will parade himself as the ‘New Statesman’ and then no doubt milk his triumph when the Beehive resumes.
And inexorably New Zealand will creep towards being the 53 US State, where 1% of the population own 99% of the wealth in a corporate fiefdom.
Respect, Professor Jane Kelsey, you are a principled, staunch fighter. If I can make it I will be there, but I cannot promise it, given many other matters I am involved in and have to struggle with.
Indeed, those that can, please follow Jane’s appeal, donate and make every effort to attend the Town Hall and other meetings and protests, this is our last chance to be heard, I fear, as time is otherwise running out.
The government and vested interest parties from certain business sectors have all the money, top “experts”, advisors and lawyers also to their avail, to push their agenda with full force. They only tell us what will benefit them, that is their clients, the owners, bosses and shareholders of some businesses, who simply only want to make ever more profits and want growth for growth’s sake. But far too much is at stake when it comes to our environment and our rights as a small nation, including Tangata Whenua.
It is time the people (do you hear me?) STAND UP against trade terms that will in many areas not benefit New Zealand, certainly not everyday ordinary New Zealanders, and in part even puts New Zealand governments (representing all residents and taxpayers) at greater risk of being sued by large corporations, should it “dare” to bring in laws for instance to better protect the environment, or to stop overseas buyers buying land and property here.
To tell New Zealanders that they will be worse off or even isolated in trading, should we not sign and join the TPPA, is nonsense, as there is nothing stopping other nations trading with us as it is. The TPPA will NOT stop us trading with others, should we not join.
Kia Kaha
Key and National like engaging in “fear politics”, US style politics, unfortunately most New Zealanders do not have the ability to think for themselves and let the media and politicans do the thinking for them?
Spot on, Mike in Auckland. That’s pretty much the way it is. In fact I’d go so far as to say “That’s EXACTLY the way it is”.
(And I don’t say that often.)
Yes, let’s not sign it and become the Albania of the South Pacific!
The TPPA is just a containemt trade deal to hem in China.
Bg corporations benefit. Don’t they always.
And, hey, don’t forget our own Fonterra, which just happens to a major international corporation. Goodness, it might use the TPPA powers to defend it’s postion overseas.
US laws may insist the break up of Fonterra?
The US is on the way out as global hegemon and desperate to use its legal/military threats to bully nations into the TPP away from China.
Why passively sit back and allow the US to drive us all to Armageddon?
The TPP is another nail in the coffin of global climate catastrophe.
In the news, one city of 7 million, Tangshan in China produces more steel that the entire US!
China is NZ’s biggest trading partner by far.
China has kept the world economy afloat since 2008.
China’s slowdown is creating a big backlash from its massive workforce.
Working people in NZ need to reject this US corporate coup!
Join forces with the billion Chinese workers and peasants and the rest of the Pacific peoples to repudiate this rush to extinction.
We need to get rid of the exploiters and polluters and build a new global economy that feeds us all and does not kill us off in wars, nuclear meltdowns and climate catastrophe.
Well said Dave Brown. I also think TPPA is about the meltdown of Trans-Atlanic partnership and US’ desperation in restoring its diminishing economic and political global dominance.
Yeah, let’s join with the peasants and the Pacific…and live subsistence lives. Also, I think the biggest polluter and exploiter (of minimum wage workers) at the moment is China.
This is one fight that we cannot leave to others to carry forward.
We all need to invest our time and money into turning the anti-TPPA campaign into a loud message that says our collective will is greater than the power of giant multinationals. We can do this and, once again, put NZ on the global map as a socially progressive country that does not bow to destructive powers. Please give generously.
NZ has been rorted by NZ Merchant Bankers and offshore Corporations already, the TPPA is the final nail in the coffin.
The TPPA will make the Treaty of Waitangi null and void, how can we allow two new immigrants Key and Groser, to determine our future?
Just shows how the Neo Liberal Experiment has been a massive failure for NZ?
Can someone tell me I am wrong, NZF and Winston Peters are the only ones questioning the wisdom of this decision?
Green Party have been vocal and active against the TPPA, attending all the protests I have been to in Auckland. Mana has also been a visible presence, even after the election loss.
The Maori Party took their time, but now seem to be on board.
IMO, the Labour Party are still equivocating, but this should be no news to those who have been looking for strong policies from Labour with little result.
Not a lot of intelligence in Labour at the moment, they still can’t decide whether they are neoliberal or not, they basically lost touch with their support base when Roger Douglas got them by the scruff of the neck and introduced ACT Party policies on the NZ populice in the 1980’s.
Little should at least say whether he supports the ISDS Clause, is Helen Clarke still running the Labour Party as she has come out in support of the TPPA?
This is the year of Monkey, changes and surprises.
Mercury is retrograde, more surprises.Lets hope changes effect us with TPPA.
Hey, Elle, Good point. Even better, the 5 innermost planets ( or words to that effect) are all in alignment for the next few weeks (and again in Aug.) and can be observed as such in the Southwest sky.
The relevance of this alignment to human affairs I question, but hey, it’s a good excuse for something other to think about than the impending financial collapse that the world, i suspect, currently faces.
I’d say this: “Everyone should cling to whatever takes their fancy.”
Survival in the latter part of this decade will be difficult enough, and everyone will need a prop or two to lean upon.
While I am not quite up with the gloom and doom approach advocated locally by Robert Attack (for example), and McPherson in the USA (hope I remembered that right, but probably didn’t) i find I’m nevertheless becoming somewhat persuaded by their point of view. (Might be a function of creeping old age and geriatricity in my particular case).
{And if the number of times I have to go back and correct typos is anything to go by, I won’t be contributing to blogs for much longer either. I’m running out of patience with myself}.
(Did I hear a sigh of relief somewhere in the distance??)
Murray you keep blogging as long as you can. I heard about year of monkey from someone else.
There is more in the universe than we are aware of ,I don’t knock other peoples ideas.Keep an open mind ,I never give in and I never give up.
The US have had a history of dreadful foreign policy, South America, Cuba, the Middle East and now they want to rap their tentacles around the South Pacific
It’s a pity that Andrew Little of Labour and the Coca Cola kid James Shaw from the Greens didn’t think this was important enough to turn up for.
+100
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhJ_2Nx-e9Q&feature=share
“Under TPP “NZ is projected to lose 6,000 jobs over a 10 year period.
“The Trans-Pacific Partnership meant to create the world’s largest free trade area will cost Canada 58,000 jobs and increase income inequality, says a new U.S. study.” The U.S. is estimated to lose 448,000 jobs over the same 10 year period.
“Perhaps more surprisingly, the study found that the two largest economies in the TPP — the U.S. and Japan — would actually shrink as a result of the trade deal, and that the deal would result in fewer jobs overall in all the participating countries.”
“In all, the study estimates that the 12 countries involved in the proposed free trade deal would lose a net total of 771,000 jobs in the 10 years after the deal comes into force.”
1) FULL ARTICLE: http://huff.to/1TdyueC
2) Global Development & Environment Institute at Tufts University: http://bit.ly/23jVi0C“
[…] – See more at: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/01/23/exclusive-an-open-invitation-from-professor-jane-kelsey/#sthash… […]
Jane. Can you please put, in big clear letters at the top, Date, time place?
Its not clear when I should turn up until the 4th paragraph.
thesolution is simple,we are the 99%.we are the majority in a democratic society,just use your vote,vote for anybody but them, i.e. :national or labour,the bought and paid for corperate puppets.so WAKE UP you 40% that didn’t vote.your vote is their biggest fear,they don’t want you to vote . they know they are the minority.so VOTE!!!!!VOTE!!!!!VOTE!!!!! for anybody but them.
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