The Green Party will work toward a global trade regime that respects ecological limits and local cultures, and which contributes to sustainable development. This should encourage good global citizenship and corporate responsibility, including through enforceable international law to protect human rights and the environment. Economic decision-making should be democratic and transparent.
Vision
Trade and foreign investment prioritise social, economic, cultural, and environmental justice in the pursuit of sustainability.
Values and Principles
Trade and foreign investment agreements and policies must be underpinned by the following values and principles:
- Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Māori as Treaty partners and the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand, should have their rights and interests upheld in all trade negotiations between Aotearoa New Zealand and the rest of the world.
- Ecological Wisdom: The purpose of trade and foreign investment should be to achieve environmental and social objectives that keep us within our planetary boundaries, and ensure the equitable, sustainable, and responsible use of natural resources.
- Social Responsibility: Equity and intergenerational responsibility should be cornerstones of trade and foreign investment, and exploitation rejected.
- Appropriate Decision-Making: Trade and investment agreements should be transparently and democratically mandated, negotiated, agreed upon, and reviewed.
- Non-Violence: Human rights and fair labour standards must be upheld, and the precautionary principle should be adopted where there is uncertainty or concern about potential harm.
- Global citizenship: The specific needs, sovereignty, biodiversity, and cultural differences of developing countries should be respected.
Strategic Priorities
The Green Party’s strategic goals include:
“Aotearoa will be in transition, creating green work and broad prosperity while moving Aotearoa away from carbon-dependent, extractive and resource-intensive industries.
“Sustainable transport, renewable energy and regenerative practices in all areas of economic activity, including land use and food production, will predominate.
“All people will be empowered to shape the systems that affect them…”
Actions in this policy that will help achieve this include:
- Ensure that all international trade agreements to which Aotearoa New Zealand is a signatory give full effect to Aotearoa New Zealand's Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities, and give effect to the values and principles of this policy (...) (1.3)
- Ensure all new international trade agreements are open to public scrutiny, including by requiring a vote in Parliament before signing. (1.4.1)
- Retaining or imposing tariffs, quotas or bans where useful to prevent unfair competition caused by unjust or unsustainable production practices in the country of origin. (2.4.3)
- Strengthening controls on speculative and other non-productive foreign investment (e.g. land banking) to minimise its negative effects. (3.1.1)
Connected Policies
Managing trade activity is one role of the Government in the Economy, as part of Global Affairs. Trade and foreign investment must support Biodiversity and Environmental Regeneration (including addressing biosecurity), Climate Change responses, and Human Rights. Dependence on trade can be mitigated with self-sufficiency in Food and Energy, and reorientation of key sectors, such as Agriculture, Tourism, and high-emitting industries. Any foreign-owned Business operating in Aotearoa New Zealand must be held to the same standard as those that are locally owned.
