Trade and Foreign Investment - Policy Summary

Key Principles

• The ecological limits to production and trade need to be understood and respected.
• We must promote sustainable and just ways to economic development and prosperity.
• Human rights and fair labour standards must be promoted and respected.
• The environment must be protected.

Specific Policy Points

Trade Agreements

• All international treaties must be voted on in Parliament before being signed, must give full effect to our Treaty of Waitangi obligations, and must put the rights of peoples and governments before those of multinational company investors.
• Uphold international labour and environmental agreements through an International Trading Organisation and regional trading agreements to replace the WTO).

Human rights

• Stop importing goods produced by slave, prison or child labour.
• Preserve the right of tangata whenua to protect themselves and their taonga from trade and investment related exploitation.

Ecological sustainability

• Ban trade in GMOs except under strict biosecurity controls for contained use.
• Full labelling of the contents and country of origin of all goods.
• Reduce the introduction of unwanted exotic species (eg by more public education, six-sided inspection of cargo containers, more staff training and technology.)

Just and sustainable production and trade

• A government commitment to 'buy local'.
• Reduce our dependence on imported goods, eg food we can grow here.
• All goods and services produced or sold in New Zealand to meet quality and sustainability standards (eg energy and recycling standards).
• Encourage fair trade with developing countries that support sustainable development.
• Retain or impose tariffs, quotas or bans to stop unfair competition from unjust or unsustainable production (eg forced labour, unsustainable logging).
• Oppose trade deregulation in public goods, services and utilities, and where desirable, roll back GATS commitments.

Investment safeguards

• Land ownership for New Zealand citizens and permanent residents only.
• More stringent conditions on overseas investment.
• A Code of Corporate Responsibility for all corporations in New Zealand.