The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement?

The NZ Trade Minister, Tim Groser, said it’s “the most complicated negotiation that I have ever seen”. He says the TPP will create thousands of jobs for New Zealanders and open up huge opportunities for our export industries. But we aren’t allowed to know the details – they are a secret, he says, because “lobbies who are opposed to change will try to stop the negotiators showing any compromise”. Therefore the NZ public won’t get a real say on it – and they’re aiming to get this through parliament by the end of the year.

It all seems a bit under-handed to me seeing as there is so much at stake in such a wide-reaching agreement. And I can’t think where all the benefits are going to come from seeing as America is behind this deal and last I heard they were in almost 17 trillion dollars of debt and tied up in more wars than any other country in the world…? Curiouser and curiouser! This is one to keep an eye on.

Lots more info here > www.itsourfuture.org.nz

And just to keep things balanced – here’s the colourful, animated, positive take on the deal – a website created by the Wellington-based public-relations company for the US-NZ Council >> www.tradeworks.org.nz <<

I don’t know what they’re trying to communicate with the animation of the cloud holding a fork with the earth on it, but PR companies are so good with words! See how they call it “FREE INFO” and have “FREE TRADE links” and a speech bubble with the words “FREE thinking”? They must be freedom advocates! *insert sarky emoticon here*