June 24, 2015
Tribunal asked to call taihoa on TPPA
The Waitangi Tribunal has been asked to consider whether the government’s actions in negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement breaches the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.
Claimants include Dr Paparangi Reid, Moana Jackson, Rikirangi Gage, Angeline Greensill, Hone Harawira and Moana Maniapoto.
They says the TPPA will undermine the treaty guarantee that Maori can exercise of their tino rangatiratanga in governance decisions that affect them.
They also say the government’s negotiators failed to protect Maori intellectual property rights as outlined in the tribunal’s WAI 262 report.
Legislation to fast-track the agreement is now before the United States Senate.
In New Zealand the decision to proceed will be made by ministers and will not be put before parliament of out for consultation with the public or Maori.
If the tribunal does accept the claim and application for urgent hearing, it could put pressure on the government to release the text of the agreement, which has so far been kept secret.
Leaked chapters indicate that rather than being about freeing up trade, it is mostly concerned with boosting the power of United States corporations to act how they want regardless of the laws of the countries they operate in.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com