The WTO, which has no democratic accountability to any voters, also overrides the right of nations to prohibit food exports, thus making it illegal to protect their own people from starvation. We will encourage and facilitate bilateral trade relationships with third world countries. We seek a balance between trade and self reliance. We see no sense in carrying identical goods long distances in opposite directions at great energy cost. The Greens will work to promote further agreements that protect environmental and workplace standards , wages and working conditions, and the rights of our people and indigenous communities against social, financial and monetary exploitation.
Nations have the right to protect their own people from deprivation.
Until the rest of the world adopts sustainability and social justice as economic goals, some control over imports is necessary. We do not support the removal of further tariffs while our competitors still have tariffs in place. It makes no sense to destroy efficient NZ motor vehicle assembly, clothing, textile and footwear industries when those products will instead be made in countries which protect and subsidise their industries. The Green movement worldwide is opposing the signing of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment which creates far-reaching rights for multinational companies investing in countries, but no corresponding rights for the people and governments of those countries. We support the international move for a charter of responsibilities for overseas investors.