Protests planned nationwide against CPTPP signing

  • 03/03/2018
Anti-TPPA protest signs.
Anti-TPPA protest signs. Photo credit: Newshub

Protests against the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) are expected to take place across the country as the agreement's signing looms.

The treaty, originally known as the TPP, is expected to be signed in Chile on Thursday March 8.

When in Opposition Labour was against the TPP, but since going into Government says it has managed to change details of the agreement, and can now support it.

Coalition partner New Zealand First has also moved from opposing the agreement to supporting it, while confidence and supply partner the Green Party remains opposed.

Anti-CPTPP group It's Our Future say the changes don't go far enough and the text is basically the same as before - aside from 22 bound-to-be-revised suspensions.

"They've failed to follow through on their promise to undertake an independent cost-benefit analysis," spokesperson Oliver Hailes said.

"This week a poll commissioned by ActionStation confirmed that 75 percent of New Zealanders still want that independent analysis before signing up."

The group praised Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman for speaking against the agreement in Parliament on Friday.

"We need to make trade fair and fit to serve our needs in the 21st century, instead of ceding sovereignty to foreign investors," she said.

"We tautoko [support] those words," Mr Hailes said.

"In fact, we're collecting signatures for a petition calling for democratic reform of the process for negotiating and signing economic treaties."

Newshub.