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Former foreign minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says today's signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement looks more like a propaganda exercise than a serious affair of state.
Trade ministers from the 11 other TPP nations are in Auckland for the signing, which is generating large protests.
Mr Peters says it's going ahead despite the fact the United States Congress has not yet agreed to the trade pact and none of the contenders for the US presidency support it.
"It's more an exercise to corral people into acceptance rather than to say 'this is a smarter commercial arrangement which in the fullness of commercial time we will sign up'. It's got all, how can I say, the smell of propaganda," he says.
Winston Peters says critics of the deal need to behave in an acceptable way or their protests will be counterproductive.
Marches against the TPP were held in a number of centres today.
In Auckland, the march started at noon from the Aotea Square and proceeds down Queen St to Britomart.
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