The following post is my paper to the NZ Parliament Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade select committee in respect to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) treaty examination.
The close off for public input was 18 April 2018. Many associates also placed evidence with the committee. The committee will hold hearings on CPTPP in the coming weeks.
I intend to present in person. I'll add whatever I say on that occasion in a subsequent post.
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Wednesday
18 April 2018
Greg
Rzesniowiecki
To:
Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Select Committee
Subject:
FADT CPTPP treaty examination: How to achieve a progressive and
inclusive trade agreement with the Comprehensive and Progressive
Agreement on Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
Greetings
FADT members,
Thank
you for the opportunity to present evidence on the merits of
Comprehensive and Progressive agreement on Trans Pacific Partnership
(CPTPP).
The
alteration to the logo occurred in the closing moves to bring a
politically acceptable agreement to the people of Canada by Canadian
Premier Justin Trudeau.
The
branding appealed to the just installed Prime Minister of New Zealand
and her new Minister For Trade and Export Growth.
Does
the reality of the agreement match the promotion and proseletysing of
the remarkably reformed TPP is one matter to be despatched.
I
agree with the Honourable member's informed opinion. The implication
being the name change is merely lipstick - so is the lipstick applied
to a pig or a thoroughbred?
I
attempt an answer herein and trust you take the time to read and
attempt to consider my perspective and interest in securing a future
that ensures the wellbeing of all.
Given
the foregoing and after consideration of the following equation CPTPP
more or less equals TPP.
TPP
= CPTPP – 22 suspended provisions (US to rejoin the TPP/CPTPP = 22
provisions plus or minus what?)
Accordingly
I provide evidence already placed before the FADT
committee in relation to the TPP - the linked material is
available on the Parliamentary website screen capture image here:
I
wrote the New Zealand Governor General Sir Jerry Matapare (copy to
Dame Patsy Reddy) late June 2016 in respect to the merits of TPP. The
correspondence
places the TPP in a context that requires your consideration
where this committee is serious about securing the future for all.
Given
recent statements
from the progressive
NZ Government on the 4 March Skripal and 7 April Douma Syria
incidents it appears to be as guilty as any party in rushing to
judgement and making public statements about guilt without a shred of
evidence.
Contemporary
government statements and mainstream news reporting fails to provide
historical
context which is necessary for any endeavour to appreciate how
this came from that.
-
-
“An
astonishing number of people have told him things that I, as Prime
Minister in charge of the intelligence services, was never told….
It is an outrage that I and other ministers were told so little.”
Does
New Zealand support the values of the UN Charter? Actions speak
louder than words.
TPP
is about New Zealand and its relation to the world. As such it is
about provisioning the future.
What
assessments has New Zealand made about the future and our place in
it?
I
note the “Trade
for All” theme offered on the MFAT website and note the thrust
toward 'including civil society interests' in the considerations.
Who
doesn't agree? Anyone?
In
the meantime the CPTPP and more are advanced without the benefit of
the NZ universal NPITA discourse – I fear the TPP/MAI
(Multilateral Agreement on Investment) agenda will colour the
discussion and the ambition of any democratising and civilising NPITA
outcome. Green MP Golriz
Ghahraman makes the point eloquently in her contribution to the
28 February 2018 CPTPP debate. That debate arose account public
pressure to democratise treaty making – the Standing Orders
committee recommended minimal alteration to Parliament's Standing
Orders on International Treaties.
I've
launched a new initiative at NZ's 78 councils and their Long Term
Plans. It will dovetail with NPITA providing the regions with an
incentive to enliven the discourse about treaty making and how it
fits with the purposes of the nation state. The email was sent to
councils just before Easter on 27 and 28 March.
democratic
governance
trade
and investment treaty making
constituency
wellbeing
sustainable
economics
Constituency
Wellbeing
The
four recommendations have gained traction as the Labour NZ First
coalition Government has picked up our third recommendation -
adopting Paul Eagle's members bill as a Government Bill the "Local
Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill" on 5 April
with it's First Reading Wednesday 11 April – It's now before the
select committee for consideration who report 11 October. One
recommendation down and three to go.
The
paper to local government is generic and applies in respect to any
trade and investment partnership New Zealand might negotiate; CPTPP,
Pacific Alliance, RCEP, China NZ FTA renegotiation, EU, UK, Russian
customs union etc.
Human
and ecological rights provisions are of a higher order of law than
mere property rights.
I
assert this is the Law. Do you agree?
This
point is of critical importance where any trade and investment treaty
is to be considered comprehensive
and progressive
otherwise what do the words mean? Progressive can mean movement
toward any object – what is the progressive CPTPP
objective that is being hi-lighted?
My
work is focused on, “looking forward to ensure any outcome promotes
the wellbeing of all.”
These
principles have international law and the UN Charter as their ground.
They identify the priorities for any lawful consideration where the
interests of the community or the environment are threatened
adversely by property interests. That is the standing in the
International Law – I do not see why NZ ought overturn the status
quo in its commercial trade negotiations where the agreements are
framed as progressive. Progress to what – the roll back of
international law?
As
a line in the sand, I offer
Recommendation #2 the www.dontdoit.nz
petition
for its value in proposing a new standard for trade and investment
treaty negotiation. I sense that it dovetails nicely with the NZ
Government's NPITA principles.
FADT
Recommendation A
that
the Parliament/Government instruct MFAT to expedite public
consideration of the NPITA package and bring the resultant publicly
agreed content to the CPTPP partners for discussion and agreement
before any new entrants are considered.
FADT
Recommendation B
that
the NPITA standard be applied as New Zealand's negotiating position
in respect to the entry of another nation as partner or any review of
the CPTPP.
FADT
Recommendation C
that
the Parliament/Government promote the publicly agreed NPITA model in
all treaty negotiations.
E
Commerce and data security
The
intersection of Intelligence and Security organisations with the
Western Powers Deep State is of profound interest to the democracy.
The
paper to local government also makes the connection between closed
systems allowing corruption to flourish.
In
closed systems privileged information (protected against Official
Information Act OIA 1982 disclosure) appears to favour the interests
of the war party.
Over
the past few years I have asked a series of questions about
international relations and foreign policy decisions of the NZ
Government. Rarely have I received a straight answer.
This
confirms that government can utter
false
accusations
with impunity and there's little recourse available to fact-check
through official information requests and searches where one wishes
for timely turnaround to avoid
escalating aggression.
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I
am working on a paper which will contribute my thoughts 'on the
intersection of trade foreign relations, international affairs, law,
and the tendency to wage war.' I will provide it to the
FADT committee asap.
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General
observations
I
encourage a relaxation of Intellectual Property rights to allow for a
innovative economy.
New
Zealand's economy is small and has traditionally relied on its nimble
fleetness of foot to navigate the vagaries of international affairs
commerce and geopolitics.
The
local government paper is a fair bit to chew on, and some councils
might say it is outside their remit - a few did in 2014 when we
launched the
TPP
policy solution
most
did not. It is well within the Overton
Window of the FADT committee given you deal with intelligence.
New
Zealand's Councillors rely on the lies offered by the Western
mainstream media where they are not able or motivated to research and
fact check for their own critical thinking. A big task these days.
Imagine
an active NZ Government fact based resource updating the nation with
accurate reports on global events.
It
would have a remarkable effect on the tone of NZ political discourse,
and would have a staggering effect on the global narrative.
An
end to fake news and false flags?
I
urge the committee to find time to read and consider Kate Raworth's
“Doughnut
Economics”
as a framework for thinking about economics in the 21st century given
that the challenges we face this century are global in scale whilst
local and regional in solution. We need a different mindset from the
economics of the past if we are to viably approach these challenges
and prosper.
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Two
papers on matters that relate:
Additional
concern about entrenching neoliberalism with CPTPP, Pacific Alliance
and more FTAs arising from two (2) NZ Government consultations. There
are more as every matter is connected.
I
offered the NZ Government 2 additional papers which have overlap with
CPTPP and the trade and investment agreement agenda;
1.
On government's Climate Change priorities for the next UNFCCC round:
Which
discusses the enforceability of climate action and public policy.
There's plenty who know what we need to do. What is clearly missing
is uncompromising political will to make it happen!
Government
ability to regulate for effective climate action is undermined by
trade and investment treaties with ISDS property rights protection
for foreign investors.
Critical
to good policy and it's implementation is the the legislative freedom
to make laws that are unable to be challenged by interests keen on
maintaining business as usual.
I
further discuss the notion of climate
clubs and recommend we include these in all negotiations whether
commenced or concieved. I hear
that the matter was raised by the New Zealand negotiators at a point
in the TPP discussions however it was rejected by the US negotiators
- so no real commitment to Climate Action looks likely from NZ's
political ally the US.
I
recommend that the concept of Climate Clubs be included in all FTA
negotiations and the NPITA consideration.
2.
On the Child Poverty Reduction Bill - dropbox file:
I
focus on the connection between child poverty and government's public
policy settings. There's plenty who know what we need to do to ensure
the wellbeing of children – they've been ignored for decades.
What
has clearly been missing is uncompromising political will to make it
happen - that is introduce distributive settings which ensure the
consequent wellbeing of all NZ inhabitants including children!
Every
event and policy or regulatory setting that affects the community,
affects the child located within it. The reality of an increasingly
disrupted future from natural and synthetic causes will impact
children. What is certain is that children rely on their parents and
carers to navigate the future on their behalf. The broader community
and the Government have a role in providing a nurturing environment.
In
the Climate Change and Child Poverty papers I underline the systemic
problem where a state ties it's hands with the trade and investment
treaty.
I
recommend the Alfred de Zayas 23 Principles for an equitable order,
and the www.dontdoit.nz
petition
for the process toward progressive and fair trade.
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I
intend to appear to present to the FADT committee hearing evidence on
“the merits of the CPTPP for the New Zealand commonwealth.”
Yours
faithfully
Greg
Rzesniowiecki
