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Little talks tough on TPP

Author
Felix Marwick ,
Publish Date
Mon, 12 Oct 2015, 5:33AM
Andrew Little (Getty Images)
Andrew Little (Getty Images)

Little talks tough on TPP

Author
Felix Marwick ,
Publish Date
Mon, 12 Oct 2015, 5:33AM

Updated 6.56am: There's fighting talk from Labour Leader Andrew Little over the TPP.

He's unimpressed with what he's seen of the trade deal so far, and believes most of the conditions Labour set for supporting the deal have not been met

Andrew Little said if it means they end up having a scrap with other TPP parties, on issues such as restricting foreign ownership of New Zealand land, then they will do that.

"It would go to the TPP commission first, the interesting thing there of course is what would Australia say, or Malaysia, or Vietnam or countries that have the very sort of restriction that we intended to enact here in New Zealand? So we will have that argument because we know that not every TPP country would support challenging us about it."

Asked if that includes pulling out of the TPP Mr Little said his party would always reserve the right to do so.

"In the end you know every government's duty is too act in the best interests of it's people, of it's citizens and we will do that and if it means that we would have to do things that would be in breach of the TPP, because we wouldn't walk out of it, we would do those things. If we have opportunities to renegotiate things that are less favourable to us we will."

Labour claims up to 15,000 New Zealand homes are being left vacant as "land-bank" investment properties, including many in Auckland.

It said restricting foreign property investors from buying up multiple homes, would prevent the practice.

Housing spokesman Phil Twyford said that might not be possible once the Trans-Pacific Partnership is in effect.

"It appears that the National government have traded away the right of future governments."

Labour says the "land-banking" practice is made worse by high capital gains.

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