Why would a Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement be bad for the climate? 

You may have heard that the New Zealand government is one of the governments involved in secretive negotiations for a Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.

Our Government likes to paint this as a trade deal, but it’s really an investment agreement – in a nutshell, the US, which is pushing the deal, is trying to make it easier for its corporations to make money investing in other countries.

Why should a climate or coal activist care about this? Because the agreement would, as leaked drafts show, include Investor-State Dispute Resolution provisions. What that means is that, if a country that has signed the TPPA then tries to bring in laws or regulations that reduce a foreign investor’s profits, that company can sue the country for huge amounts of damages.

Suppose New Zealand signs on to the TPPA, and then a foreign coal company comes here, lured by the current Government’s support for mining and lack of any effective price on carbon.

Then suppose there’s a change of Government, and the new Government wants to regulate mining more tightly and make fossil fuel companies pay for their real costs of their actions. They might tighten environmental and health regulations so that the foreign coal company has to pay for damage it causes to the local environment and to workers’ and residents’ health, or start making the company pay for the greenhouse gas emissions it is responsible for.

Either of those measures would reduce the foreign coal company’s profits. Under a TPPA, the company could then sue the New Zealand government in an international court of arbitration over which New Zealand has no control.

This has happened with other similar investment agreements – for example, Oceana Gold, the company which operates Macraes Mine among others in New Zealand, is suing the Government of El Salvador over its refusal to issue a mining permit.

Even more than the actual cases, corporations use the threat of such suits to prevent Governments imposing tighter environmental regulations or carbon charges.

There are a whole lot of other reasons why it would be a terrible idea for New Zealand to sign on to a TPPA. You can give the Government that message loud and clear this Saturday 8  November – check out the event details below, or download this flyer with all the details.

Events, with links: 

Auckland  (1:00 pm at Aotea Square): speakers include Robyn Malcolm (Actors Equity), Bunny McDiarmid (Greenpeace), Dayle Takitimu (lawyer, Whanau-a-Apanui), Brian Mannering (Medical Students Association), with music from Don McGlashan, Moana Maniapoto, and Roger Fowler.

 Hamilton (1:00 pm at Garden Place). TBA

Raglan (10:00 am Raglan Jetty at the end of Bow Street). Speeches and live music from Cornerstone Roots.

Tauranga  (1:00pm at Red Square).

Rotorua (1:00pm at Kuirau Park Courts): speakers include Te Ururoa Flavell (Maori Party), Fletcher Tabuteau (NZ First), Annette Sykes (Mana Party), Potaua Baisiny-Tule (TangataWhenua.com), Catherine Delahunty (Green Party) and Chanz Mikaere.

Gisborne (1:00 pm at Derby Street)

Napier  (1:00pm at Napier Council Steps on 231 Hastings Rd): Speakers and music by Ngatai Huata, march through town.

New Plymouth  (1:00pm at Puke Ariki)

Palmerston North (1:00pm at PN Square, opposite the library) Speakers: Dr. Thomas Owen, Dr Rachel Keedwell (Horizons RC), Assoc Prof Jeff Sluker (Massey), Sarah Roberts (Greens), Darroch Ball (ex-NZ First), Jill White (ex-MP, Councillor and Mayor), Bruce Wilson (ex-Councillor), Lew Findlay (PNCC), Tangi Utikere (PNCC), Teanau Tuiono & Te Ao Pritchard (Palmy Panthers) and Sue Pugmire (organiser extraordinaire). Funeral theme symbolizing the death of democracy, dress-up optional!

 Levin (11:00am at Te Takere Library/Community Centre) A morning of community engagement at the Community Centre with speakers, music, film and info packs.

Wellington  (1:00pm at Cuba Street Bucket Fountain) A family friendly march to the Civic Square for speeches and music, with a focus on local government and communities as well as broader national concerns. Speakers include Sandra Grey (MC), Todd Rippon (Actors Equity), Greg Rzenosweicki (Renewables), Sue Kedgley (GWR Councillor), Gay Keating (OraTaiao: NZ Climate & Health Council)

Nelson (1:00pm at Millers Acre i-SITE): Speakers include Graeme O’Brien, Rachel Boyack (FIRST Union) and others.

Christchurch  (1:00pm at Shands Crescent Reserve) March to Hagley Park where we’ll stay until 4pm with live music, speeches, kids entertainment, food stalls and a learning space where people can find out more about what’s at stake.

Timaru  (1:00pm at Bay Hill Piazza) TBA

 Dunedin  (1:00pm at the Dental school for a march along George Street and then rally in the Octagon): Speakers include Metiria Turei (Green Party), Aaron Hawkins (Councillor) and Bob Lloyd (University of Otago).

Invercargill (1:00pm at Wachner Place).

The post Are you ready to march against the TPPA? appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

The US Government is currently putting intense pressure on its 11 Asia-Pacific negotiating ‘partners’ to finalise the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

This agreement, being negotiated in secrecy and with no chance for effective public or even Parliamentary input, has serious implications for New Zealand sovereignty if passed – including the ability for a future Government to pass effective environmental legislation that displeases foreign investors. Further good reasons to oppose the TPPA are listed below.

You won’t be surprised to learn that the current National Government strongly supports the TPPA. Elements of the Labour Party also support it, though David Cunliffe has recently signalled that Labour will take a more critical stance. The Greens are strongly opposed.

Now a new website gives you the chance to take action against the TPPA. You can watch and share this video in which prominent New Zealanders call for more openness over the TPPA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61tDQBKpCdU

and sign and share this petition calling for the Government to let New Zealanders know what’s in the TPPA: http://www.itsnotright.org.nz/

Environmental legislation and decision-making is already heavily weighted in favour of the mining industry. If the TPPA is passed, that will get even worse, and be harder to change. So we encourage you to get involved in the anti-TPPA campaign.

More reasons to be concerned about the TPPA

From http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz/what-is-the-tppa/:

From what we know so far, if the negotiations are completed it will become much harder for the New Zealand government to look after our environment, promote health, protect workers and consumers, and promote the public interest:

• Most restrictions on foreign investment will be frozen and rolled back even further.
• Big overseas companies will be able to sue the New Zealand government for millions in damages in secretive offshore tribunals, claiming that new laws and regulations (for example, a ban on fracking, smoking control laws, or a cap on electricity prices) have seriously undermined the value of their investments.
• Medicines will become more expensive as big pharmaceutical companies gain more influence over PHARMAC, and restrictions are placed on generic medicines.
• Copyright laws will be toughened and more harshly enforced, restricting internet freedom and access to information, costing libraries, schools, and businesses, and stifling innovation.
• Parallel importing will be banned, meaning that New Zealanders, especially the poor, will have to pay far more for all sorts of ordinary products.
• Foreign banks, insurance companies and money traders will gain more powers to challenge laws designed to prevent another financial crisis; and overseas property dealers could contest moves to burst the property bubble, such as a capital gains tax.

Recent media coverage

• Key accused of spreading TPPA ‘mistruths’: http://www.3news.co.nz/Key-accused-of-spreading-TPPA-mistruths/tabid/1607/articleID/315300/Default.aspx
• Calls for Government to release draft text of TPPA: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11132757

The post TPPA Opponents Launch New Campaign: Get Involved! appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.