Do you know what TPPA means?

If not - then you may want to check it out. Here is one paragraph from the January 9th update on the TPP watch site that explains it all and why there are major concerns:


"The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade and investment agreement [TPPA] poses a serious threat to many aspects of New Zealand’s future, but very few kiwis are aware that it is being negotiated, let alone what it might mean. In December 2011 representatives from more 20 groups from trade unions, environmentalists, churches, Maori, IT, authors, public health and development sectors met at a workshop convened by TPPWatch, CAFCA, NZ Not for Sale and TPP Action Group.to discuss concerns about the implications of the TPPA and strategies to promote debate about the agreement."


One of the things that is most concerning is that the details of what this agreement entails are being kept secret. Here is another paragraph from the update:


"Governments remain committed to obsessive secrecy

Leaks of draft texts and papers are the only real information we have about these negotiations. Despite national and international letters from organisations representing millions of people, the 9 governments have agreed that no draft texts or background documents will be released until four years after the negotiations are concluded or collapse. That means no governments can be held accountable while they are in office for the trade-offs they have made. Moves to hold more informal negotiations take away the already superficial opportunities for  “stakeholder” interaction with the delegations. The National-led government blocked a petition for the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade committee to hear submissions on the likely implications of the agreement."