S Wairarapa joins call for TPP safeguards

STAND: Protesters gather outside the Royal Hotel in Featherston to voice their concerns at TPP negotiations.

South Wairarapa District Council is the first in Wairarapa to support a 12-point public interest TPP Policy Solution designed to protect New Zealand's interests in Trans Pacific Trade negotiations.

The policy solution presented by the TPP Action Group is an agreement between councils and the government to encourage local economic and industry development in trade negotiations.

The main clause in the TPP Policy Solution is that the public must be consulted with regular drafts of the TPP agreement.

Councils already in support of the TPP Policy Solution represent more than 60 per cent of the population.

South Wairarapa is the 12th council nationwide to adopt the policy.

Greg Rzesniowieki from TPP Action Group spoke at the Carterton District Council meeting this week encouraging councillors to follow South Wairarapa's lead.

"South Wairarapa has confirmed their support of the policy and by way of correspondence with them they're happy to be publicly known as supporting this," he said.

"So both their policy committee and also their Maori Standing Committee have got the versions of the TPP Policy Solution. We now ask Carterton District Council to join those who wish to protect the interests of the public majority by supporting this process."

Mr Rzesniowieki said it was important for councils to understand the implications of the TPP, so it may be in "an informed position to act on the interests of their constituents and themselves".

The policy solution states that councils will only support the TPP agreement if the cost of medical treatments and medicines would not be raised, and public health measures, such as tobacco control, would not be threatened.

It also states that good diplomatic and trade relations with major trading partners not included in the agreement, including China, be maintained and the Treaty of Waitangi be protected.

Carterton District Council said it would wait until November's combined council meeting before making a decision on support of the solution.

Mr Rzesniowieki said TPP Action Group would soon make a separate application to Masterton District Council.

Other New Zealand councils that have adopted the Policy Solution are Auckland City, Nelson City, Tasman District, Christchurch City, Dunedin City, Wellington City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt City, Kapiti Coast District, Palmerston North City and Tauranga City.