One official involved in these doings has said there can be no going back. Once the treaty has been signed, it will be hard for future governments to wriggle out. The people behind the MAI OECD economists, international bankers, trade diplomats, politicians justify themselves by invoking the amoral imperatives of the marketplace. Investors, they insist will not commit their resources to nation states unable or unwilling to guarantee the security of their funds. Democracy is risky.
Electorates are volatile and prone to excess.
Legislators who depend upon the voice of the poor and exploited cannot be relied upon to withstand the temptations of populism. Acknowledging these facts, nation states in need of foreign investment must be prepared to limit the scope of their politics. This could be reflecting government measures to tie welfare benefits to stricter work tests. The 12th annual Lampen survey of salaries and employment trends in NZ finds that two out of three employers are having trouble attracting staff because of skill shortages. The survey finds there are skill shortages in areas which require specialisations or qualifications, such as accounting, sales and customer service, and technical and engineering roles.