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. We invite others who wish to join the list of endorsers to contact us.

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