New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Runanga: 23 July 2015

Urgent TPPA hearing critical to honouring Treaty

It is critical that the Waitangi Tribunal agrees to an urgent hearing into allegations the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, says Council of Trade Unions Vice-President Māori Syd Keepa.

“There has been a huge amount of concern amongst Māori and the broader community about the implications of this agreement. Many Māori have expressed their concerns around how the TPPA will affect the rights described in Wai 262: Ko Aotearoa Tēnei. Could the rights of foreign investors override the rights of tangata whenua,” asks Keepa.

“If the government is serious about its benefits then it should be willing to open up discussion with Māori in the appropriate forum.”

“Instead the Crown has said it is too late in the TPPA negotiation process for a Waitangi Tribunal hearing. This puts a trade treaty ahead of our founding Treaty.”

“The government cannot be allowed to sign away our tino rangatiratanga,” says Keepa.

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