Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
14 June 2012

TPP Negotiations Must Be Stopped Or It’s Goodbye Sovereignty

New Zealand First is calling on the Government to put on hold the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and ask New Zealanders what they think about handing over our sovereignty to foreign-owned companies.

Documents leaked today show that the National Government will agree to let foreign investors sue New Zealand for damages in private offshore tribunals if they feel new laws breach their rights.

Rt Hon Winston Peters says it would be catastrophic if National signs up to an agreement that gives litigious US firms power to sue New Zealand over domestic legislation, simply because they don’t like it.

“National must withdraw from the next negotiation meeting on July 2 and launch a select committee inquiry so all New Zealanders can see the full proposal and comment on it.
“If National just blunders ahead and signs up to the agreement it will throw our whole law making process into turmoil.

“This – like the sale of our state owned assets – is yet another move by John Key to put our country into the hands of his big business chums from overseas,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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