Te Pāti Māori will oppose the United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement Legislation Bill, a trade deal which shut Māori out of negotiations, and that fails to protect Māori rights and interests.
The official EU commentary on the deal mentions (a) the wider political ties that New Zealand has with Europe, and (b) NZ's welcoming mat to Europe’s foreign investors.
The free trade agreement between New Zealand and the European Union fails to meet the standards we expect of the government under Te Tiriti o Waitangi in terms of both process and outcome.
There is much more at stake here than just agriculture, with several chapters seeming to impose restrictions on New Zealand laws and how the government can regulate.
The only thing standing in the way of an agreement being reached is whether the EU is prepared to offer NZ what is described as ‘meaningful and commercially viable’ quotas for sheep meat and beef.
New Zealand red meat sector leaders head to Brussels this week as negotiations between the European Union and New Zealand for a Free Trade Agreement enter a critical stage.
With the EU expected to sign a free trade deal with New Zealand this summer, anxiety is rising in the huge dairy industries in Europe over how the deal will affect them.