Labour confirms conditional support for TPP
By Nicholas Jones of the New Zealand Herald
Labour has confirmed its conditional support for the Trans-Pacific
Partnership - saying it wants the controversial free trade agreement if
conditions are met, including allowing its proposed ban on house
purchases by foreigners.
The TPP is bitterly opposed by many on the left who want New
Zealand’s involvement to be completely scrapped, but after a meeting of
the Labour caucus this week the party has announced its support.
"Labour is pro free trade, as evidenced by the China Free Trade
Agreement we signed in 2008. But by negotiating the TPP in complete
secrecy, the Government is creating a level of public unease," leader
Andrew Little said.
Labour said it can only back the agreement if it does not undermine
New Zealand’s sovereignty, and has outlined five conditions for its
support:
The protection of Pharmac; The Government being able to regulate "in the public interest" and not be sued by corporations; The Treaty of Waitangi must be upheld; Farmers get meaningful gains in tariff reductions and market access; New Zealand maintains the right to restrict sales of farm land and housing to non-resident foreigner buyers.Labour’s policy is that non-resident foreign buyers should be blocked
from the New Zealand housing market, and it has recently released
controversial analysis of leaked real estate agent data it says points
to a large number of offshore Chinese buyers in Auckland.
Its foreign buyers policy would be allowed under the China FTA, which the party signed in 2008.
- The TPP is bitterly opposed by many on the left who want New Zealand’s involvement to be completely scrapped
