MEDIA RELEASE

12 September 2003

Jim Sutton: A Desperate Man

New Zealand’s Minister of Trade Negotiations, Mr Jim Sutton, has his work cut out for him at the meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Cancun, Mexico.

He is trying desperately to sell an agenda for which there are no real buyers.

“It’s time for Mr Sutton to wake up and enjoy the sun. Beyond the corridors of the expensive hotels in which delegations are housed, there are millions of people who see the world quite differently,” said Leigh Cookson, spokesperson for GATT Watchdog.

“They want control over their own lives. They do not want a future enslaved to the huge Transnational Corporations who are doing their best to take over the world,” she added.

“Surely Mr Sutton can see that the rich countries are continuing their negotiations as usual with their single tactic of “do as I say or else”. They will always protect the dominant interests in their own countries - and this means protecting large-scale agribusiness. If it means increasing farm subsidies they will find a way,” she said.

GATT Watchdog was deeply saddened to learn of the death of the Korean small farmer, Kyung-Hae Lee at Cancun who strongly believed in the words of his placard that the WTO kills farmers.

“Mr Lee has died in the public eye but there are thousands, if not millions of small farmers like him who are living silent lives of desperation. It is time that Mr Sutton listened to what they are saying, “ said Ms Cookson. “And at the same time he might also stop to listen to the thousands of people in this country who do not want every area of their lives dictated by WTO rules.’

GATT Watchdog has been opposing trade liberalization for over ten years, especially as negotiated at the World Trade Organisation and other free trade agreements by successive New Zealand governments.

GATT Watchdog Tel (03) 366 2803 (03) 339 6341