David Clark
MP for Dunedin North
Trade and Export Growth Spokesperson

MEDIA STATEMENT

11 May 2016

Govt hasn’t made the TPP case for small business

Almost two-thirds of small businesses do not fully support staying in the TPP – showing the Government has struggled to sell New Zealand businesses on the deal, says Labour’s Trade and Export Growth spokesperson David Clark.

“Todd McClay has desperately spun the latest MYOB figures to try to sell a good news story for the Government. The figures are clear though. The MYOB press release says, ‘36 per cent said they favoured staying in the TPP’. That means two-thirds are either against the deal or haven’t yet formed a strong enough view to affect their vote.

“Just 39 per cent of exporting small businesses support the TPP. This shows there are growing concerns that the TPP is more than just a trade deal.

“By refusing to engage properly with concerns of the opposition, unions, academics and business as in previous FTAs, National has run roughshod over a traditional bi-partisan convention. Tying the hands of future governments has previously only been done by agreement.

“The process has been rushed and communication botched. Treasury says, ‘the timeframes for decisions have not allowed for a full assessment of the potential impacts or risks of some of the proposals’.

“Businesspeople are right to be concerned about such a situation.

“The TPPA will have ramifications for generations of New Zealanders. For their sake, we should not enter into an agreement which may exacerbate long-term challenges for our economy, workforce, and society so lightly,” says David Clark.

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