Greens warn smoke issue might be trade agreement problem
New Zealand needs to ensure under trade agreements it doesn't give up its right to impose health measures such as plain tobacco packaging, the Green Party said today.
Hot Topic
EARNINGS
New Zealand needs to ensure under trade agreements it doesn't give up its right to impose health measures such as plain tobacco packaging, the Green Party said today.
Tobacco company Philip Morris is suing the Australian government for introducing plain packaging laws for tobacco.
The tobacco company said under a bilateral Hong Kong investment treaty companies' property, including intellectual property such as trademarks, were protected and plain packaging was detrimental to the company's trademark.
Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia in April said New Zealand was likely to follow Australia's move.
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said New Zealand had a similar treaty with Hong Kong.
"Philip Morris can use it to stop our Government putting in place cigarette plain packaging, as recently recommended by the Maori affairs select committee," he said.
"It shows how dangerous these investment rights treaties are when a multi-national company has more rights than a sovereign government to regulate in the interests of public health."
Should Philip Morris win, the Australian Government could have to pay billions in compensation.
Dr Norman said the Government had rejected Green Party concerns as far-fetched but it should ensure all investor rights protections were removed from the Hong Kong deal which is being reviewed.
The party and academic Jane Kelsey are also concerned that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) which is still being negotiated would cause similar problems.
"We call on the Government to release the draft text of the intellectual property section of the TPP trade talks with the USA," Dr Norman said.
"We need to know what rights our Government is handing over to Philip Morris in those negotiations."
NZPA
Tue, 28 Jun 2011
Tue, 28 Jun 2011
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
Greens warn smoke issue might be trade agreement problem
15540