Tariana Turia: Smoke free, our history, our future

February 28 was the day, 17 years ago in 1995, where we reoccupied our traditional pa site - the site where we gathered, lived, traded. It is fitting that we remember the source of our wellness as residing in our history while preparing and shaping our future. Being smoke-free is part of that vision.

We, as a nation, have set a goal to see Aotearoa become smoke-free by the year 2025. It is a bold target, but it is also an achievable one.

Smoking-related illnesses kill around 5000 New Zealanders per year, and cause serious health problems for many more. It is a harmful habit that costs us millions of dollars a year, but even worse than that, it costs us lives.

Since the introduction of our progressive policies aimed at curbing this hazardous habit, we have made some real advances towards achieving our goal of becoming smoke-free. Last week, data was unveiled by End Smoking NZshowing tobacco sales were down 11 per cent. A Ministry of Health Survey also showed that between 1997 and 2009 smoking prevalence rates fell from 26 per cent down to 19.2 per cent.

We are making real progress, and I am committed to ensuring we achieve our goal. In fact, I am looking at the model set by Australia and considering how to further advance our policies in eliminating our use of tobacco here in Aotearoa.

It has been a difficult path towards eradicating this harmful substance from our lives. It has been further complicated by the interests of large tobacco companies and their extraordinary means of inserting themselves in our political lives, and wielding horrendous power over our social development.

The Trans Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement (TPPA), which is being negotiated between nine member countries, including New Zealand and the United States of America, has been surrounded by controversy for this reason. Tobacco companies, which sell harmful and addictive products to consumers here and across the world, are lobbying other governments to ensure that member countries (such as Aotearoa) create a legislative framework supporting their profit-making ventures.

This puts our target of becoming smoke free by 2025 at risk.

I have always believed the best interests of New Zealanders are served by preserving our health, not by creating profit at the expense of the wellbeing of our whanau. I was disturbed when I learned of the role that our Ambassador to the USA, Mike Moore, played in a trade event celebrating the TPPA, sponsored by a large tobacco company, Phillip Morris, as well as other large corporates such as pharmaceutical companies.

These companies should not be allowed to push their agenda on to our diplomats, who serve to promote New Zealand's best interests in foreign territories. Furthermore, our foreign policy, particularly concerning trade agreements, should not be a vehicle through which we determine our domestic priorities and social development goals.

We cannot put money-making ventures and other countries' priorities ahead of our own nation's wellbeing.

The issue of tobacco comes back down to how we value the health of our whanau in this country. We must prioritise our families and our communities above the interests of overseas companies. We must also be able to trust that our government has our best interests in mind when they enter into these negotiations with other countries.

I am committed to ensuring we meet our goals of social wellbeing and whanau transformation. This is an area for us in Aotearoa to focus on, and as far as I am concerned, foreign tobacco companies can butt out.