Oppose Food Bill 160-2 Template Letter 1

This is a template letter you can use freely to write to All MP's, or your local MP. See instructions here

Download a Microsoft Word .doc version of this template letter Oppose Food Bill 160-2 Template Letter 1

-- [Your Address]

[Date]

Parliament Buildings Wellington

Dear Mr/Ms [MP Surname],

Parliament is about to pass Food Bill 160-2 into law, a bill which is obscured under the guise of food safety. FB160-2 is a misguided attempt to control all aspects of food production and use in order to “stabilize” global trade.

FB160-2 is a control mechanism and vehicle for the enforcement of Codex Alimentarius, a set of United Nations (FAO) food standards. Codex is being imposed on every country in the world along with threats for non-participation, which in our case currently surface through the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Once accepted by countries, together with top-down control (exercised through the FAO Commission concerned with standard-setting), there is nothing to stop autocratic application of these rules. Sadly The Codex Commission is subject to significant pressures through special ‘extra budgetary’ funding arrangements which arise through the influence of big Banks and big Agri-Business.

Codex will eventually apply to everyone in New Zealand. Item (6) section 346 of Food Bill 160-2 reads: “Regulations made under this section (Order in Council, standards in relation to food) must not set a standard for food sold for export that is different from the standard set for food sold on the domestic market.”  The unwritten implication of this provision being that Section 346 will instead be used by government to inject regulations (such as those promulgated under Codex) directly into the framework pertaining to the domestic market. In this way Kiwi regulations will be “harmonized” with the international standard and there will be no difference between the two.

FB160-2 will also strangle small business with excessive regulation and compliance costs. This will ultimately result in unhealthy, unaccountable, nutrient deficient and potentially toxic food for all New Zealanders as well as serving to throttle the innovation that could otherwise be expected to arise through the small businesses displaced by the onerous nature of the proposed regulations.

FOREIGN COERCION HAS NO PLACE IN A SOVEREIGN DEMOCRACY. NEW ZEALAND SHOULD CLEARLY ESTABLISH ITS OWN SET OF STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC FOOD SAFETY and not rely on foreign standards that will continue to be manipulated in favour of big global Banks & Agri-Businesses.

Most members of parliament won’t have time to study this Bill. They will read the title, consider “Food Safety” sounds OK and approve it having no idea that they are ceding control to international corporations.

As a New Zealand politician, I trust that you understand the duty to represent the people who elect you to Parliament and that you will not merely “give the nod” to big business and overseas interests. It is vitally important that you, as an MP, protect and safeguard the capacity of New Zealanders to do business in their country without international interference.

Please, don’t let your voters down. Vote against this Bill.

Yours faithfully,

[Your Signature]

[Your Name] -