I am deeply concerned by the stance the government has taken during the negotiations of the TPPA. There have been multiple clear breaches of the OIA, even after the ombudsman made sure Tim Grosers office was aware of their legal requirements.
I am concerned about any loss of sovereignty of our government, either directly, or indirectly from this agreement. The reason for having a country is to have the ability for a group of people (ie; the country) to make rules for themselves. Any change in this circumstance should be put to a binding referendum at the very least.
We currently face an unforeseen and unprecedented outcome of the form of capitalism which forms the basis of this document. Namely the threats to our planet caused by ‘business’. That this agreement seeks to further embed the very trade which is wrecking large (and small) scale havoc on our planet is blind to say the least. It ignores science and limits our options of environmental improvement in the future.
I oppose the costs to consumers by copyright extension. The taking of free goods and creating artificial scarcity in order to make money from them serves no public good. It should be remembered that the original reason for copyright was to encourage the creation of new works, not to protect the resale price of old works or the rehashing of old works into a new format. Copyright, as it is used at the moment, takes our culture and then makes us pay for it in order to participate in it. This is wrong.
The TPPA also serves to further undermine what freedoms still exist on the internet. It should be a warning to the negotiators that they seek to monetise something that was created freely. It is akin to poisoning the river in order to sell us clean water. That we should be spied on for profit and control is also disgusting. Note that those who use their scale to invade the privacy of others fiercely protect their own networks and databases.
Although the TPPA has provisions to protect the Treaty of Waitangi(ToW) it will be impossible for it to do so. Those covered under the ToW are but a small portion of the country. It will be impossible to say, “Well, 90% of you have to do this but 10% don’t”. Remember that the governments position on ToW is subject to change over time. Fifty years ago it was not even recognised.
I object to the undermining of our democracy. One of the keystones of democracy is an informed public. The TPPA cements in secret tribunals and secret negotiations for business. This does not allow the public to be informed.
Currently (at the time of writing) there is a suppression order on the release of the Serco Report. The TPPA would extent this ability to suppress financially sensitive information and take the decision to suppress information outside the New Zealand justice system. This is unacceptable. I do not support the amount of suppression given by the New Zealand justice system currently (re: Mike Sabin) and allowing extending the ability of business to extend suppression orders is unacceptable.
I object to the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions in the TPPA (and in fact all other treaties signed with ISDS provisions). The government of New Zealand exists to benefit the people of New Zealand and can only achieve that by having the ability to freely make decisions that benefit the people of New Zealand. The ISDS provisions in the TPPA inhibit this ability. This is unacceptable.
The TPPA will effect the price and/or availability to public health and medicines adversely as well as diminishing our ability to react to future changes in medical science. This is unacceptable.
Finally I object to the amount of power the TPPA cedes (or reinforces) in either power or influence to corporate entities. The political process should benefit the people of New Zealand and they should decide as an informed public. Not as informed by one, or a small group of entities, but informed as a well and broadly educated public. New Zealand is currently failing at this, in my opinion, and the TPPA will exaggerate this ignorance.
