Tuesday 1 January 2008

Hone Harawira on the FTA with China

Hone Harawira, MP for Te Tai Tokerau
24 July 2008

I tera wiki, i whakanuitia ana a Rererangi Aotearoa e te Minita Tapoi e Damien O’Connor, i te whakatuwheratanga o te rere-kotahi, mai i a Beijing, ki Tamaki Makaurau.

Last week, Tourism Minister Damien O’Connor was heaping praises upon Air New Zealand as they launched the first non-stop service between Auckland and Beijing.

E mea ana te minita, “he marea hokohoko tino nui ki Haina, mo ake tonu”.

“This very important long-term Chinese market” was how the Minister put it.

E toru ra ki muri, he tirohanga rereke mo tënei ‘marea hokohoko tino nui ki Haina, mo ake tonu’ – na Tatauranga Aotearoa.

Three days later, Statistics New Zealand gave another view about this very important long-term Chinese market.

I te marama o Pipiri, ko heke nga manuhiri no Haina i te 24% i temarama o Pipiri o tera tau, 1600 nga tangata.

Short term visitor arrivals from China in June 2008 were a massive 24 percent down- some 1600 people less than recorded in June 2007.

E rua marama atu i te hainatanga o te Kawenata Hokohoko Noa, kua kite tätou, kaore pea nga huamoni e rite ana ki nga tümanako.

Just two months after the Free Trade Agreement had been signed it appears the economic benefits of the FTA may not be as secure as first envisaged.

Ka matakite te pukapuka a ‘Tü Mai’, a ngä tau tekau e tu mai nei, 61 miriona nga turuhi no Haina, ka haere ki whenua ke. Ko te marea hokohoko whai rawa o Haina tënei, e whakaarohia ana e te Minita Tapoi.

Tü Mai Magazine estimated that in the next ten years, there is a possible 61 million Chinese outbound tourists heading off to distant places. This is the lucrative Chinese Market the Tourism Minister is thinking about.

Engari ko te pätai nui ki a tatou, me pehea te marea hokohoko nei e patari ai ki tenei whenua? He hinaki ranei e mau ai tatou?

But the big question that hangs over all of our heads is – what will it take, to lure this market to our shores? Or will it all be a one-way street?

Ko ngä kaimahi utu-iti, hei maunu ma ngä pakihi o Aotearoa, e raruraru ana i te kainga.

The lure of labour at cheap rates will be an irresistible pull factor for many New Zealand businesses who are struggling to hold it together at home.

Kia penei rawa a Aotearoa nei? Hei kura pae mo Haina?

Is that the type of Aotearoa we want? Just another link in the Made in China brand?

Kua tohutohu mai te ropu Rongomau me te Tika o te Ao, ko te utu ki a tatou, ko ngä turanga mahi rua tekau mano ka ngaro, ko te nuinga he mahi wheketere, i te mutunga o ngä taake hoko mai.

Global Peace and Justice have pointed out that the costs at home may extend up to more than twenty thousand jobs being lost – mostly in manufacturing – as tariffs are phased out and removed.

E maumahara tonu ana tatou ki ngä tau waru tekau – he parekura te whakawateatanga kia hokohoko noa, i pa kino nei ki ngä kaimahi, ara, ngä kaimahi Maori i ngä wheketere.

We all remember the reforms of the 1980s; the savage impact that trade liberalization had for workers, particularly Maori in manufacturing jobs.

E maumahara tonu ana tatou ki te MAI, me tona tahuhu, kia taetae noa mai ngä kamupene nunui o te ao, ki te hoko haere i a tatou rawa.

We remember the Multilateral Agreement on Investment which aimed to allow multi-billion dollar corporates open season on assets in Aotearoa.

A, e möhio anoki tatou, he aitua ki ngä kaimahi o konei, i te wa e whiwhi nui ana ngä kamupene nui o Haina, me ngä taniwha, penei i a Fonterra.

And we know that New Zealand workers will become collateral damage, while Chinese companies and international corporations such as Fonterra will score big time.

Ko ngä hua, e kore e eke ki te utu – engari, ehara te utu i te moni anake.

The stated return is simply not worth the risk – and the costs are not only in monetary terms.

I te wa e ngaro ana te waihanga taputapu ki Haina, ka heke to tatou mana, i etahi atu ahuatanga o tenei piringa, ki to tatou hoa hokohoko hou.

While our manufacturing needs will be outsourced to China, our international reputation will inevitably be tarnished by the other impacts of our relationships with our new trading partner.

I te timatanga o te whakatata haere ki Beijing, e titiro ana te ao ki Haina, kia kitea mena e hiahia ana te kawanatanga ki te whakatika i ana takahanga mana tangata, penei i te whakapai, i te paru ki te one.

As the buildup to Beijing starts cranking up, the international community is looking to China, to see evidence of any political will to clean up its human rights violations as comprehensively as it has got rid of the algae on its beaches.

Engari, aue taukuri e, e ai ki ngä korero a Amnesty International, ka whakawhiu tonu atu te käwanatanga, i ngä kaiwawao, mana tangata.

But sadly the reports from Amnesty International indicate that far from it the official persecution of human rights activists continues.

Kino atu i tera, kei te mauhere tonu ngä kaiwawao, ratou e tohu ana i ngä hara a te kawanatanga, kia tika katoa ai i mua o te timatanga o te Tauwhainga Olympic.


Worse yet, human rights defenders who are speaking out about violations are being detained, imprisoned as part of the pre-Olympics clean-up.

E maumahara ana au ki tetahi kauhau a te Pirimia i te Akoranga Rongomau i te Whare Wananga o Tamaki Makaurau, ka penei ia: “Kei te tino maharahara au, ina whakawaireka te kawanatanga Nahinara ki a ratou o Ahia, e kore e taea, ta ratou whakamaru mana tangata, te kite.”

I am reminded of a speech the Prime Minister once made to the Auckland University Centre for Peace Studies, in which she said, and I quote: “I am very concerned that the National government has chosen a path of ingratiation with those in Asia whose human rights record is poor”.

Kia marama ai tatou, na te tino kino te takahi mana tangata o Haina, ka tuhi atu a Amnesty International i tetahi reta, i runga i ngä aue a te tini mano, huri noa i te ao, e karanga ana kia Haina, kia whakatikangia ngä mana tangata, kua roa ke, e taamia ana.

Just to make it quite clear – the human rights record in the People’s Republic of China is so poor that Amnesty International has sent a letter, inspired by what they describe as hundreds of thousands of voices from around the world, echoing the call to address the longstanding human rights concerns.

Tera ka mate ano te matauranga tuku iho a ngä tupuna, i ngä mahi whakawaireka a te kawanatanga.

Another likely victim of this political path of ingratiation is the risks inherent to intellectual and cultural heritage.

Kua tohu mai tera pukenga pakihi a Aroha Mead, kei totohu ngä toi Maori i te waipuke mai, o ngä taputapu noa.

Maori business senior lecturer, Aroha Mead, has warned about the likely threat that Maori art will become swamped by mass production.

Nana ano te whakatupato, kei waimeha te tohu mana o Toi Iho, i te nui o ngä taputapu tinihanga, e hokona ana.

She has also suggested that the toi iho trademark which protects quality Maori arts and crafts may well be devalued as the market becomes flooded with cheap, gaudy products.

I te wa o te Komiti Tirohanga, ka penei tonu ngä karanga a te Ropu Tapoi Maori o Aotearoa, a Toi Maori Aotearoa, a Ngä Aho Whakaari, ratou ko Kia Kaha (clothing), ko Huia (publishers) e tautoko ana.

During the select committee process, these same concerns came through loud and clear from the New Zealand Maori Tourism Society, Toi Maori Aotearoa, Nga Aho Whakaari (Maori in film, video and TV), supported by Kia Kaha clothing and Huia Publishers.

Ehara enei i te ihu hupe.

These are not lightweights by any means.

He umanga ta pukapuka a Huia kua whiwhi tohu, otira nana ano to matou mana o Aotearoa i whakapumau, na te whakamatau, na te whiriwhiri, na te whakaputa i taua mana motuhake ki te ao.

Huia is not only an award winning publisher but their works have made a significant contribution our identity as a nation - defining, creating and expressing our distinctive edge on the world stage.

Kei a Kia Kaha te tikanga o nga kakahu mo to tatou toa hauporo mo Cambo, mo nga kakahu hoki mo o tatou kapa ki nga tauwhainga o te ao, otira ka hokona atu a ratou kakahu ki Poihakena, ki Amerika, ki Uropi hoki.

Kia Kaha not only has the clothing contract for our top golfer Cambo, and previous Commonwealth Games uniforms, but boasts wholesale and retail customers in Australia, the UK, US and Europe.

Ko Nga Aho Whakaari te ropu o nga kaimahi Maori whakaata, nga kaiwhakatu whakaari, nga ringa tohu, nga kaimahi hangarau, nga kaituhi hoki, puta noa te ao.

Ngā Aho Whakaari is the national representative body for Māori working in film, video and television in New Zealand so includes internationally acclaimed actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers across its reach.

Tena, i te hui tahi ngä ropu nei, ki te tiaki i te rangatiratanga, me mataara te ao, me ki, to tatou ao Maori.

So when these groups get together, out of concern for the protection of rangatiratanga, the world needs to sit up and listen – well at least our world anyway.

I mea atu ratou ki te Komiti, me whakau ngä ture i te tikanga, kia tautoko te Karauna i te rangatiratanga Maori o ngä taonga katoa, tae atu ki te matauranga.

They told the select committee that the legislation needs to reflect the Crown’s active duty to protect Maori authority and control over taonga and matauranga.

E whakaae ana matou ki te take, i kokiritia e te Uru Kahikatea (FOMA), me tupu te ohanga whanui, kia ora ai ngä pakihi Maori.

While we acknowledge the points made by the Federation of Maori Authority, that economic growth is essential for Maori businesses to succeed, we cannot turn a blind eye to the risks and responsibilities we hold to argue for ethical investment.

Engari, e kore matou e whakaae, ki te whakaaro kuware o te Komiti, ma te whai rawa haere o Haina, ma te whakawhanaunga haere ki te ao whanui, e kaha ake ai ta ratou arai i ngä mana tangata.

We simply cannot accept the rather naïve excuse put up by the select committee, that growing prosperity and engagement with the outside world is likely to be linked with better human rights in China.

E kore matou e whakapono, ma te Kawenata Hokohoko Pokanoa me to tatou whenua iti nei, ka kitea a Haina i te maramatanga, kia huri ai rätou, ki te ara tika.
It simply doesn’t wash with us that the Free Trade Agreement China has signed up to with our little country, will make the mighty superpower see the light and change their ways.

Hei whakakapinga korero; i a tatou e whakatata ana ki te waru o ngä ra o Hereturikoka, e mohio ana tatou, kei te whakaaro ngä rangatira nunui o te ao, tera me huri tuara ratou ki te ra whakatuwheratanga o te Tauwhainga Olympic, hei tohu whakahe i te takahanga a Haina i ngä mana tangata, i te mana motuhake o Tibet.

Finally, as we count-down to August 8, we know that international leaders from across the globe are considering whether they might boycott the Olympics Opening ceremonies as a powerful criticism over China’s human rights record and security crackdown in Tibet.

Ka pera ano to tatou whakahe? – ka huri ranei tatou ki te whakawaireka i a Hori Puihi, i a ia e whakawaireka ana ki a Haina?

Will we be prepared to also show our concern - or will we instead be sidling up to President Bush as he in turn sidles up to China?

E kore matou o te Paati Maori e piupiu i te haki whakapono, ki te Kawenata Hokohoko Pokanoa.

We in the Maori Party will not be waving the flag of faith in the FTA.

Tuturu, e tautoko ana matou i te ohanga Maori, e kite ana matou i ngä painga ki ngä iwi e puta mai ana i te hokohoko kaimoana, mahi täpoi ki a Haina.

Of course we want every opportunity to support Maori economic advancement, and we recognize the opportunities that iwi see in China, particularly in the area of seafood exports and tourism.

Engari me pehea mätou, e huri ke i te taamitanga taikaha o ngä reo motuhake o Tibet, he takahanga tera i te tangata whenua?

But how can we with any conscience, overlook the brutal repression of dissent in Tibet which represents a callous disregard for the rights of indigenous peoples.

E mataara ana matou ki ngä tara koi i roto i te hokohoko pokanoa, pai ke ati ki a mätou, te hokohoko tika.

We remain concerned about the fish-hooks in free trade rather than the justice of fair trade.

E rapu ana matou i ngä huarahi e tiakina ai te taiao, ngä mana tangata, me ngä tikanga mahi.

We seek strategies which are about protection of the environment, human rights and worker rights.

I te tonga o te ra, he taumaha rawa te utu o ngä turanga mahi, ngä utu mahi, ngä matauranga mahi, te mana motuhake, e ngari katoa ai. E kore matou e tautoko i te Ture mo te Kawenata Hokohoko Pokanoa me Haina.

And in the long run, we calculate the costs of lost employment, lost wages, lost expertise, lost independence, as a cost too big to bear. We do not support the New Zealand China Free Trade legislation.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good on Hone and the Maori Party for exposing yet again the hypocritical dirtbags in Labour & National for ramming through the NZ-China Free Trade Agreement.

Free trade will make China respect human rights? Yeh, right! Hasn't worked in the free trade we've had with China for the last 20 years, nor with Burma, nor with Singapore, etc....

Time to stand up for human rights all over the world - say no to free trade and yes to fair trade. Better still, scrap capitalism!!!