noisy now

There is an agenda afoot to sell off this country and recently we have seen three developments that are connected to that agenda. The selling of state assets, the TPP and the opening up of exploitation of oil and gas seem to have a momentum that is relentless. They really want to push these through - why is that I wonder.

A great speech by Hone regarding the government selling of our assets. Now is the time to sign the petition and keep the pressure on. 

Scoop

But the really surprising thing to me, is how long it has taken us to wake up to the fact that selling off resources and assets and services built up by generations of New Zealanders will leave our children and our mokopuna with a future almost too bleak to contemplate.And yet such is the future that this bill and this government, offers us all.

Mr Speaker, MANA opposes this bill to sell off 49% of the shares in Mighty River, Meridian, Genesis and Solid Energy

The opposition is widespread but the fasttracking of the legislation shows the government can't afford to give way on this. If they did their TPP dirty deals mas suffer for instance, and they are dirty indeed. Gordon Campbell has an awesome post on the TPP, as he concludes


Scoop

Right. In sum, the public has very good reason to feel concerned about (a) the adequacy of the TPP investor state dispute panels (b) the secrecy in which the TPP discussions are being pursued and (c) the emptiness of the Trade Minister’s assurances that everything will be hunky dory. If there is nothing to fear, why the secrecy? Can Groser at least give an assurance that before a document that will bind present and future New Zealand governments is signed, it is submitted to Parliament for scrutiny – and if not, why not?

They will also find it stickier trying to sell off the exploitation rights to oil and gas. As the ODT says

Oil and gas exploration companies have until October to submit exploration work programme bids for one or more of the 23 areas, covering just over 40,000sq km of offshore seabed and more than 3300sq km of land in Waikato, Taranaki, Tasman, the West Coast and Southland. 

These developments are connected, as well as many more that struggle to see the light of day. We have seen the backdown with teacher/student ratios, but these issues are more hidden and have less direct impact on averagekiwi. Key knows this and he has to hold the line - unless we force him not to. Time to up the ante and disturb key's comfort zone and the best way to do that is noise - visual and auditory, consistant and focused. We can do it, we can stop them - we will stop them.

release the text of the TPPA

I've mentioned the TPPA here. This agreement is very dangerous for all of us and it is astonishing that the country positions, including this country's, won't be known until after they sign and it cannot be changed - what are they hiding?

Frogblog

The governments of nine countries are currently negotiating in secret for a far-reaching agreement called the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). John Key’s Government doesn’t want us to see the NZ position or any of the text until it is signed and sealed and cannot be changed.

The TPPA is being branded a free trade agreement, but trade is only a minor part. As well as trade, the agreement covers foreign investment rules, empowering foreign companies to sue our government, opening our services to more international competition, restricting our right to regulate, pharmaceutical costs, intellectual property rights, and preventing use of government procurement to help local firms.

It would give special rights to foreign investors, including the ability to sue governments for passing laws that might affect their profits – like Philip Morris is threatening against countries that have introduced plain packaging of cigarettes – and threatens the survival of Pharmac that makes medicines affordable to New Zealanders.

Civil society groups, like TPP Watch, are currently campaigning to have the draft texts of the TPPA and the various country positions released for public scrutiny. 

Go here to read the open letter to prime minister key. Sign on to the Release the Text campaign here.

Hat tip - Frogblog