Tabuteau Fletcher: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTabuteau Fletcher: General Debate[Sitting date: 04 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10765. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]FLETCHER TABUTEAU (NZ First): The pleasure one could take addressing the ridiculous comparisons made by the previous speaker Paul Foster-Bell. Just to answer him I ask this one question: who comes to mind when I say the words “Jabba the Hutt”? Who is Jabba? But my point is a serious one. This is it: after 6 years of secrecy after a public-relations signing stunt here in New Zealand after a truncated travesty of a select committee process—basically after years of unbridled arrogance on the part of the National Government—with the insults still coming I have to take 5 minutes out of the general debate to speak about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. That is all I get in order to speak about the trade agreement itself. There is nothing else in this House to speak about in terms of the substantive part that is the TPP itself. That is an absolute travesty of democracy and an indictment on that Government.Despite Government arrogance despite running roughshod over experts in international trade and despite ignoring experts in international law who spoke against this agreement the Prime Minister still seems to be nervous. Apparently he is still trying to sell it. I heard last night that he spoke eloquently apparently in a speech about this partnership agreement. But this is the commentary from some of the observers: “Few speeches have been so simplistic in their lack of understanding of history both here and abroad or the stark reality staring them in the face” here in New Zealand. The Prime Minister said that there is no worldwide conspiracy to take jobs from New Zealanders or to suppress wages or to buy all of our homes. Only someone knowing that that is exactly what is going on—what is happening right now—would use the occasion in order to defend the lack of economic and social planning and the mess that is developing around him. Others claim not only that it was simplistic but also that the message itself was dishonest. He would have everyone believe that the opposition to the TPP is opposition to trade full stop.Ninety percent of submitters prefaced their submissions with the statement: “We support trade.” But this is not a trade deal. New Zealand First in its founding principles has always said that we must be a trading export-based nation. But we know that this is a partnership agreement not a trade agreement. Most New Zealanders now see that there is a very big difference between the two and they do not like it one little bit. We know despite the spin from National that to oppose this deal is not to oppose the benefits of trade; it is actually to oppose the 1 percent—to oppose locking in corporate entitlement. It is opposition to empowering foreign corporates ahead of good Kiwi business. That is what we are opposing today.For 6 years—Brett Hudson: Fortress New Zealand.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: I cannot even remember your name. For 6 years National has got away with secret negotiations. Over the last few months National in its role in Government has undermined the select committee process and it has undermined democracy. It has shown contempt for everyday New Zealanders experts in international trade and experts in international law who came to submit before the select committee. The fact is that the unnecessary inappropriate and undemocratic time constraints meant that the Government was writing its report while it was listening to submissions. That is wrong. We cannot accept that.New Zealand First has been vocal and strong in our opposition to this partnership agreement. We have stood in this House and decried the secrecy. We have decried the lack of consultation and meaningful engagement. We have decried the investor-State dispute settlement process and we have said that the claims made around the supposed trade benefits are absolutely farcical.I have been subjected to a select committee process that has undermined democracy for the sake of an imaginary race to be the first to ratify. I say “imaginary” because everyone here knows that in the United States you have every frontrunner in the presidential race saying no to the TPP. They like New Zealand First know that the TPP will actually cost jobs and will simply mean more money for the 1 percent. I stand here proudly in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.