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‘It’s Our Future continues to oppose the ironic rebrand of the Trans-Pacific Partnership,’ says Oliver Hailes, spokesperson for New Zealand’s network of opponents to the economic treaty, which was released to the public yesterday. ‘The final text and the National Interest Analysis (NIA) simply affirm our longstanding position that New Zealand is going to give …

TPPA rebrand betrays the national interest and our progressive values – Oliver Hailes Read More »

Canada and the US are set to agree on withdrawing the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the US, Canada and Mexico, according to reports from the US overnight.[1] ‘That would signal the death knell for its inclusion in future US deals, and presumably make the …

US and Canada to drop ISDS from NAFTA. NZ should insist on the same for TPPA-11 – Jane Kelsey Read More »

‘The revised National Interest Analysis (NIA) for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement minus the US (TPPA-11), released today, layers new spin onto old’, says University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey. ‘It is disappointing to see Labour and New Zealand First squander the chance to clean up a treaty making process which they have previously criticised. …

TPPA-11 National Interest Analysis is recycled spin, Labour squanders opportunity for real change – Jane Kelsey Read More »

Labour promised at Waitangi that it will be accountable to Maori. That promise faces a major test next week, as the Crown responds in the Waitangi Tribunal’s inquiry on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), according to University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey, who was the claimants’ expert adviser in the urgency phase of the …

Will Labour let the Waitangi Tribunal complete the TPPA inquiry? – Jane Kelsey Read More »

Speaking to CBNC at the World Economic Forum in Davos yesterday, US President Trump reiterated his view that the original Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) was a “horrible deal”, but said “I would do TPP if we were able to make a substantially better deal”. University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey has called on the New Zealand government …

Trump says US might rejoin if the TPPA gives it more – will Labour& NZ First say ‘no’? – Jane Kelsey Read More »

Overnight in Japan the remaining eleven governments have concluded the ‘revised’ but essentially unchanged Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA-11), now called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership. The signing is set for 8 March 2018 in Chile. University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey predicts ‘the rebranding of the TPPA won’t fool anyone, …

Labour/NZF must explain how Canada secured changes to TPPA-11 when NZ said it couldn’t – Jane Kelsey Read More »

‘The World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference in Buenos Aires has concluded without a formal statement. This reflects the deep divide between poorer countries who have demanded that WTO members deliver on their promises to address outstanding development issues’, Auckland University law professor Jane Kelsey reports from the meeting. ‘Richer countries, including New Zealand, sought …

NZ on the wrong side of the only outcomes from WTO ministerial meeting in Argentina – Jane Kelsey Read More »

‘“Inclusion” is the buzzword on the lips of trade ministers at this week’s World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Buenos Aires, as they seek to rescue an international regime and its peak organization from a deepening crisis of legitimacy’, reports University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey from the meeting. ‘Proposals on gender, small and …

Gender ‘pinkwashing’ at the WTO bodes ill for a new progressive trade agenda – Jane Kelsey Read More »

Last week Trade Minister David Parker said “it’s not fair that we subjugate ourselves to the interests of the one per cent” and promised to tame the “excesses of globalised capital”. ‘Today, we learned the new government has added New Zealand’s name to a proposal designed to lead to foreign investment rules in the WTO …

If Labour wants to ‘tame globalised capital’ why is it supporting investment rules in WTO? – Jane Kelsey Read More »

‘I’ve written to Trade Minister David Parker this morning asking him to intervene urgently over the sudden and bizarre de-registration of representatives of prominent NGOs who had been accredited to attend the World Trade Organization ministerial conference from 10 to 13 December in Buenos Aires, Argentina’, said Auckland university law professor Jane Kelsey. The Minister …

David Parker asked to intervene as WTO cancels NGO registrations in bizarre lead-up to ministerial – Jane Kelsey Read More »