Thank you for your invitation to join you in Chile on 8th March, at my own expense, for the signing of the resurrected Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement that your own party in Opposition said was seriously flawed.
I’m afraid that is not my idea of inclusion. I want and expect people to be engaged with and listened to during the entire decision-making process and for negotiations to be based on a genuinely progressive mandate and conducted in a democratically transparent way.
Instead, I will be spending 8th March in Colombo, where I hope to contribute to more positive outcomes by presenting at an UNCTAD High-Level Policymakers Workshop on digital trade and e-commerce – an issue of major concern in the TPPA that you are about to sign and with which your government has still not come to grips.
Perhaps former trade minister Todd McClay, who says he was not invited to the signing, would like to take my place?
Yours sincerely
Professor Jane Kelsey
(Meanwhile, Daily Bloggers, make sure you sign the petition opposing the TPPA-11 at Dontdoit.nz)
Prof Jane Kelsey
Faculty of Law
The University of Auckland
Mr Parker probably thinks your just feeling snarky because you don’t have your own brand of olive oil to flog off…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10502493
(nice letter btw)
‘I want and expect people to be engaged with and listened to during the entire decision-making process;
Government has never not been of that form (well not in my lifetime). In over half a century I have only ever experienced a top-down system, in which incompetent fools with power slowly and subtly sabotage the lives of the populace, and totally ignore all evidence that challenges their absurd and deceitful narratives.
Jane, ALL of New Zealand needed to hear your speech yesterday at the Auckland CP TPP rally in Aotea square. It was fantastic.
Maybe, like you, I was sad and frustrated at the numbers that showed.
People forget there is power in numbers. I too am not impressed with Labour/NZF back tracking on this deal. Makes you clearly realise – money talks!
I hope Bryan Bruce’s cptpp documentary opens kiwis eyes before it is pushed through parliament.
Thank you for your passion, and all the best in Columbo.
Clearly Labour aren’t going to back down on this.
But the Greens are clearly against it, thus why wasn’t more pressure put on them?
The Greens threatening to take a genuine stand (forcing Labour to choose between remaining the Government or maintaining their support for the TPP) is the only thing left that has a real chance of stopping the TPP.
After nine long years in opposition, I don’t see Labour (or NZF) opting for another election and risk losing their newly attained power.
David Parker the behind the scenes neo-liberal Black Prince of the Labour Party.
This Machiavellian neoliberal Labour Party, right winger, behind the scenes policy maker’s, half hearted attempt to co-opt Professor Kelsey, is not out of character.
He once made a similar approach to me.
Knowing that I am an activist opposed to opening of new coal mines, Parker approached me and asked if I would support a huge expansion of the gas exploration and extraction sector as a replacement for coal. I was gob-smacked at his pitch to me. It was such a stunningly brazen attempt to co-opt me to his fossil fuel agenda that I was at a loss for words.
David Parker is a willing tool of the fossil fuel lobby….*
Wherever does this guy ever get off?
David Parker is the architect of New Zealand’s Green Washing Emissions Trading Scheme which far from cutting greenhouse gas emissions has overseen a steady increase.
(Embraced by both National and Labour parties, while New Zealand’s leading environmental party, the Green Party are committed to abolishing the ETS.)
David Parker’s ETS and other similar emissions trading schemes around the world, were a creation of the oil companies.
BP CEO John Browne, known in the oil industry as the “Sun King”, not for his green credentials but for his lavish lifestyle that mirrored that of Louis the XIV of France. Was the first to champion the concept of carbon trading as a way to maintain and grow the oil industry in the shadow of climate change.
During John Browne’s leadership, BP turned Green Washing into an art.
John Browne was the man who came up with the green washing name “Beyond Petroleum” to describe his company and who ordered the placing of solar cells on the roof of BP gas stations, in an effort to rebrand BP as an environmentally friendly oil company.
An example of Parker’s duplicity comes from a time when he was addressing a business breakfast of corporate leaders, where he wouldn’t have expected his comments to be recorded.
A sell-out disgrace by this government. Bravo for standing up to be counted, Professor Kelsey. I don’t think this government and the sleeping population realize what life will be like under the coming regime. Are people aware that you tube is closing down all channels it doesn’t agree with? Thousands of truth channels gone. Free speech gone with a flick.
Infowars is prone to drama but Alex Jones tells what happening right now:
http://crazzfiles.com/youtube-deletes-entire-health-ranger-video-channel-deletes-over-1700-videos/
“We told ya so” just isn’t worth it, cos the sad fact is the neoliberal airheads who currently run NZLabour simply don’t have the wit to do anything else.
Not signing the TPPA by putting forward an alternative to not becoming a peon of the US next time a demopublican rather than a republocrat is prez of amerika would stress out Parker and Ardern to the point their heads would hurt.
I expect a similar climbdown on foreigners buying kiwi homes and farms.
The ineptitude and cowardice with which this crew of drongos has approached the awful reality that kiwi families live in cars despite holding down several mcjobs indicates they intend nothing truly meaningful on that front either.
The only point of interest about the mob allegedly holding the reins of power in Aotearoa, is whether Ardern’s continual playing to the overseas neoliberal gallery via the despicable warmongering Guardian will cure kiwis of their hideous cultural cringe.
Right now anything no matter how poorly informed, written about Aotearoa is deemed more important than any expert commentary from within the nation cos “It puts us on the map”.
In 1971 the uni arts festival was held in Palmerston North and while walking from the town centre up to Massey we were picked up by a middle aged hausfrau in the ubiquitous morris 1100.
Miss Manawatu 1954 regaled us with how wonderful the arts festival was while my friend and I wondered how she could know since she would plainly be disgusted by the tamest of events on ‘the calendar’. When we gently suggested this to our chauffeur, she said to us “I just know that this has really put Parmie on the map”.
Nothing has changed, kiwis can live and work in third world conditions but for the cringeingly low self-esteemed bourgeoisie so what? Jacinta has put us on the map, up there with Justin Trudeau. eeewww I can taste the vomit in the back of my throat.
If I were you, I would definitely join the contingent, attempt to sway and convince the decision makers to look at the matter from your reasoned viewpoint. The travel cost considerations should be secondary if you are serious about influencing and changing their minds. In this case, it’s perhaps better to be in the tent than out …
He has held out an invitation; you could have used that time to talk his ear off. It still needs to be ?ratified, even though signed. Not sure if side letters can still be written and agreed to with your input?
Also, there will be other trade agreements, Professor Jane Kelsey. Now is your chance to be seen and be talked with. Huge chance there for you to make change, even if not this time.
I’m sure many would financially support you to make that trip.
And remember the gov’t has to try and please ALL New Zealanders.
With me it’s the lack of information re our ownership of water in relation to the other trade relationships. Nobody will tell me.
If Prof Kelsey had made that trip it would have been twisted by Labour to look as though she somehow endorsed the stupid deal. You did the right thing Jane Kelsey, I wouldn’t want to have to pretend to smile and nod with that moron either.
Those signing it rightly called it ‘a dog’ pre-election and it will come and bite NZ in the a***, if ratified.
You were invited to attend the signing at your own expense ?!
Gosh. That was big of them.
You were right to decline, Jane.
Meanwhile – Donald Trump is again complaining about NAFTA. It was a bad deal. The Canadians should be kind to American farmers. The Mexicans have been taking American jobs – with the help of American corporations looking for cheap labour. What the Mexicans can do about the hell unleashed using American guns and American buyers of narcotics, we don’t know.
If Mexico began to actively look south. If we looked west and east more often. The Pacific and rim are plump markets yet – South American and African nations have such potential as trading partners. The African Commonwealth members particularly.
Why aren’t we prospering the Commonwealth? Why aren’t we influencing with integrity?
Thanks ! Jane for your great work and this letter and for continuing the fight against insane trade deals that mostly only benefit the corporate criminal elite. Labour/Greens have been a major disappointment on this issue.
It is truly embarrassing that our country remains gutless on so many important matters that involve ethics and caring for humanity.
If Labour have to abandon their ban on foreign buyers which is looking more likely every day, then TPPA is right back to what it was minus the clauses that were suspened because of the withdrawl of USA and they could be back within months going by the way Trump is talking.
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