Marchers oppose secret trade deals

Protesters march up Devonport Rd with placards on Saturday. Photo/Andrew Warner

Tauranga turned on an "inspirational" protest against secret international negotiations that organisers say threaten to put profits before people.

More than 100 protesters marched up Devonport Rd on Saturday as part of nationwide action against the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

New Zealand is one of 12 countries involved in negotiating an agreement that critics say go further than trade talks.

They have called on the Government to release the text of the negotiations so people can see exactly what is at stake.

Saturday's protest began in Red Square at 1pm with speeches by Mana Party president Annette Sykes, Green Party co-convenor Ron Elder, Independent MP Brendan Horan and local residents. They highlighted concerns that the agreement could have on local democracy and decision making.

The group then marched to the National Party office in upper Devonport Rd, carrying signs that read, "Keep control in New Zealand," and, "John Key is a flea, signing off on the TPP."

Campaign spokesman Edward Miller said Saturday's turnout in Tauranga was "invigorating and inspirational" because it was a complex issue.

He said under TPPA if a multinational mining company invested in New Zealand and the Government decided it wanted to pass new laws that could impact on its operations, the company could take the Government to an international tribunal and sue for loss of profits.

Big, litigious corporations had influenced the text of the agreement that could make governments reluctant to go ahead with legislation if it was going to cost millions of dollars in legal costs and could end up being overruled by a tribunal, he said. "It puts profits before people."

People needed something in return for trusting their elected representatives.

"We need to see the text ... we are relying on scraps of leaked information."

Implications included costlier medicines, abolishing parallel importing, expanding what could be patented, and adding 20 years to an author's copyright, he said.

As well, more jobs could go as the Government bought offshore, Mr Miller said.