This morning’s leak of documents from the highly secretive
Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) negotiations are a backdoor to widespread
deregulation, according to FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid.
“The documents demonstrate that the government is trying to
lock New Zealanders out from deciding how services are regulated, including in
FIRST Union’s coverage areas of finance and transport, as well as
telecommunications, post and the professions.”
“‘Liberalisation of trade in services’ is trade-speak for
limiting government influence over the services that New Zealanders use every
day. The NZ government’s involvement in these negotiations shows utter contempt
for the democratic process, giving foreign investors and corporates
disproportionate control over how services are regulated.”
“In the finance sector this means a free pass to the big
banks to operate on a global scale with minimal regulation, driving down costs
and employment conditions through off-shoring. Banks are solely concerned about
maximising their profits. They take no responsibility for financial instability
and crisis, leaving working class people to bear the brunt of the losses.”
“For the transport sector, service liberalisation will be a
gift to large transport companies, driving down safety and employment
conditions while creating barriers for government investment management or
operation of national transport infrastructure.”
“TISA is not an economic development plan, it’s the kind of
backdoor deal that would make even FIFA proud.”
“The secret Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI)
negotiations from the 1990s fell to pieces as information about its potential
impacts started to come to light. FIRST Union categorically opposes secret
‘trade’ negotiations and calls on the government to make all negotiations
public immediately so democracy can take its course.”
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