People speak out against Pacific Partnership

A group of Wanganui citizens met on February 15 to voice their concerns about the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement. Today, Tauranga people will do the same.

UPDATED: More than 100 people marched up Devonport Rd this afternoon as part of a national protest against the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.

The TPPA is being negotiated between 12 countries, including New Zealand, and protesters believe it is "more than just a trade agreement".

Campaigners said they were calling on the government to stop the secret negotiations and wanted to exercise their democratic rights by seeing what the New Zealand negotiators were putting forward.

The protest began in Red Square at 1pm with speeches from Mana party president Annette Sykes, Green party co-convenor Ron Elder, Independent MP Brendan Horan and concerned local residents.

The speakers addressed the concerns people have about the affect the TPPA could have on local democracy and decision making.

The group then marched to the National party office on upper Devonport Rd.

It's Our Future spokesperson Edward Miller said that concern about the TPPA crossed a number of areas in public life.

"Some are worried about the price of medicines. Others about the impacts on local libraries. Tangata whenua are battling to uphold their Treaty rights against foreign mining companies. City Councillors and unions fear that more local jobs may go and workshops close as government buys offshore."