The Treaty of Waitangi

Subject: Statement from Te Kotahitanga Hikoi (March to Wellington)

Te Kotahitanga Hikoi
The Unity Of One Nation

MAI: Multilateral Agreement on Investment a government round-table rip-off Foreign Ownership - (who will own you?)

What is in it for you?
How does it affect your spending?
How does it affect your tamariki/children?
The political and wealthy few are making the rules to control everyone's life (no exceptions). These few only care about money, possessions and what they can control. The ultimate control-people.

MAI and the PUBLIC

MAI has been developed without any consultation with the public.
MAI will open up Aotearoa to foreign companies like never before.
MAI will stop Local Bodies who want to protect local jobs, awarding contracts to local companies rather than to foreign companies.
MAI will let foreign companies block "community loans and grants" by arguing that the government is giving community groups an unfair advantage.
MAI will take away our property rights, our contract rights; even our intellectual property rights.

MAI and the NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT

The NZ Government has committed itself to a global free trade system.
Privatisation of government services is part of that.
The sale of State Owned Enterprises is part of that.
Signing up to GATT is part of that commitment.
Settling Maori grievances with obscene speed is also part of that commitment.
MAI is the final step in that process.
The NZ Government has been secretly negotiating MAI with 28 other countries, since 1995.
The NZ Government hopes to sign up to MAI by May 1998.
MAI is the process by which the NZ Government, having sold everything else off already, will now sell its very own sovereignty.
Under MAI, if a foreign company thinks that a NZ law limits their ability to invest as it wants to, the foreign company can sue the government in a special International Tribunal, BUT the government cannot sue the company !!
MAI will give this International Tribunal greater power over NZ policy than the NZ Government
itself.
Once signed, we are locked into MAI for 20 years, during which time foreign companies can rape the country. If an intelligent government tried to get us out of it, they would get sued.
MAI will open up all government agencies which have been recently privatised, like electricity companies, health authorities, local government agencies and water companies, for foreign investment and control.

MAI and the MA0RI

MAI was developed without consultation with Maori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa
MAI does not recognise the rights of Maori, or the Crown's obligation to honour the Treaty of
Waitangi.
MAI means that foreign companies can challenge any laws or regulations that have been passed or might be passed to protect Maori interests.
MAI will turn Maori cultural and intellectual property rights into an "investment right".
MAI will put special Maori treasures such as flora, fauna, traditional medicines, and human and animal genetic materials, onto the open market.
MAI makes no allowances for Maori rights to broadcasting, language, education, health care, spiritual and cultural practices or anything else that we might consider important.
MAI means more foreign investment, which in turn will make us even more exposed to economic problems offshore - such as the current Asian crisis.
Although Aotearoa's financial, communications, media and transport infrastructure was built primarily on the basis of resources stolen from Maori, most of it is now largely in transnational hands. MAI will put whatever is left, on the block for the highest bidder.
In the NZ economy, Maori have traditionally been the worst treated of all employees. MAI will allow foreign companies to set even harsher working and wage conditions.
Maori have always fought for the preservation of the natural world. MAI will over-ride hard won environmental protections.

MAI and the TREATY of WAITANGI

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on 6 Feb 1840.
The Treaty gave the Crown the right to govern.
In return, the Treaty charged the Crown with guaranteeing Maori their sovereign authority over their fisheries, their forestry, their lands and other treasures, such as intellectual property rights.
MAI does not recognise the Crown's Treaty obligations.
MAI requires the NZ Government to settle all Treaty grievances with haste, so that when foreign investors come charging in under MAI, there will be nothing left to stop them getting control of Aotearoa's resources.
Maori refusal to participate in the Crown's Treaty Settlement Process, is a major obstacle to the imposition of MAI.
The Treaty is a guideline on how we should live as two nations in one country.
The Treaty must continue to protect future Maori generations, and guide Aotearoa's future as well.

The TREATY of WAITANGI - PROTECTS US ALL

MAI will put whatever is left, on the block for the highest bidder.
Maori, unions, environmental groups, and people who care for the future of this country, will not be able to take cases against foreign companies under MAI.
The Treaty should be used as a guideline on how we should live as one nation in one country.
The Treaty will continue to protect the future of both Maori and Pakeha generations and be a guide to Aotearoa's future.
The Treaty is a major obstacle to MAI: "a thorn in their side".

Rose Raharuhi, New Zealand