Kiwis say no to free trade agreement with US
Scoop | Monday, 25 May 2009
Press Release from Campaign Against Foreign Control Of Aotearoa (CAFCA)
Kiwis Say No To Free Trade Agreement With US
Leading Kiwis Say No To Liberalising Overseas Investment Act &To Free Trade Agreement With US
Thursday’s Budget promises to be a humdinger, maybe in the finest traditions of Ruth Richardson’s infamous “bash the poor” 1991 one. But you can bet that there will be two hoary old myths peddled as a means to get NZ out of our particular corner of the global economic crisis — we’ll be told that the economy needs to be opened up even more to foreign investors, by means of liberalising, yet again, the Overseas Investment Act; and that a Free Trade Agreement with the US is the Holy Grail of the numerous trade deals that the Government is currently pursuing.
The Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) says “no” to both and we are not alone. We have asked organisations and well known New Zealanders to endorse our opposition to both proposals. Below is the list of the first to do so. More will be added as they come to hand.
For full details of the proposed liberalisation of the Overseas Investment Act, go to http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/OIReview/OIReview2009.html on the CAFCA Website (address below).
And for full details of the proposed US/NZ Free Trade Agreement and the campaign against it, go to the New Zealand Not For Sale Campaign Website at http://www.nznotforsale.org/
Please regularly check both those Websites for updates, additional signatories, etc.
– Unite Union
– Matt McCarten, General Secretary, Unite Union
– Mike Treen, National Director, Unite Union
– Bill Willmott, Emeritus Professor
– Dr Robin Gwynn
– Reverend Brian Turner, Past President, Methodist Church of NZ
– Jeanette Fitzsimons, Green Party Co-Leader, on behalf of the Party
– Frances Mountier
– Kay Murray, Alliance Party Co-Leader
– Prue Hyman, Adjunct professor of Gender and Women’s Studies, Victoria University of Wellington
– Maire Leadbeater
– Matt McCarten, on behalf of Unite Union
– Joe Davies, organiser, Unite Union
– Simon Oosterman, organiser, National Distribution Union
– Paul Corliss
– Dion Martin, organiser, National Distribution Union
– Trevor Hanson, General Secretary, Maritime Union of NZ, on behalf of the union
– Councillor Paul Bruce, Greater Wellington Regional Council
– Andrew Campbell
– Dr Jane Kelsey
– Catherine Delahunty, Green MP
– Dr Sue Newberry
– Dr Bill Rosenberg
CAFCA
Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa
www.cafca.org.nz
