It is Vietnam where the effects of the TPPA will be most clearly felt, says Thomas.

The average income in Vietnam is 5 per cent of that of New Zealand. Only 45 per cent of those in rural areas have access to clean water. Corruption is rife.

Life in the backstreets of Hanoi and the paddy fields of the Mekong Delta may seem like a strange context for the high level talks that recently took place on the Trans-Pacific Partnership in Hawaii, but it is Vietnam where the effects of the agreement will be most clearly felt.

Despite the poverty that still exists, Vietnam has advanced significantly through increasing trade. Over the past 20 years, trade with the United States has increased 100 fold and is now worth around US$40bn. GDP per capita has increased seven-fold and the World Bank reports that the proportion of people living in poverty fell from 58 per cent in the early nineties to around 10 per cent in 2010.

The Peterson Institute for International Economics estimates that Vietnamese GDP could increase by some 14 per cent if the TPPA goes ahead. If the TPP eventually led to a broader regional agreement, Vietnam could be 22 per cent better off.

Economic growth is not an academic issue - the improvement in output since 1980 has allowed life expectancy to increase by 20 years. It is little surprise then that a poll conducted by Pew Research Centre found overwhelming support for the agreement with 89 per cent of Vietnamese backing the deal.

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The Peterson Institute estimates New Zealand GDP will increase by 2.2 per cent as a result of the TPP. At the same time there might be an extension in copyright terms and an increase in the amount Pharmac spends to source certain drugs, although it's difficult to quantify the exact effects while negotiations are ongoing.

I personally believe that the boost in New Zealand trade volumes by gaining better access to Pacific export markets is more important the other effects. However, even if you disagree on this point, supporting the TPPA is a no-brainer because of the transformative effects it will have on the Vietnamese economy.

This was why I was so disappointed to receive an email from Oxfam NZ inviting me to join the recent anti-TPPA marches.

Oxfam obviously does a wide range of superb work that improves the living standards of thousands across the world. It is sad that at the same time it is seeking to undermine this work by trying to block the ability of Vietnamese labourers to have their output sold freely on global markets.

When you donate to a charity like Oxfam you give away a small amount of your income to help those in greater need. Even if you believe New Zealand may be worse off as a result of the TPPA, consider the agreement a donation to help some of the most vulnerable people in the world - who lack the luxury of worrying about having to wait an extra five years for books to come out of copyright.

ASSURANCES

One of the concerns about the TPPA concerns the inclusion of Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions. These allow investors with a legitimate grievance against a government the right to sue for compensation. Misinformation about ISDS abounds.

Provisions for ISDS already exist in more than 3000 trade agreements, including in every TPPA nation. The purpose is to ensure the rule of law is upheld and ensure governments can't arbitrarily discriminate against foreign companies.

For example, in one case in El Salvador, an American mining company is seeking redress after having its licence stripped without proper reasons being given and despite meeting all relevant environmental regulations. El Salvador remains free to regulate mining in any way it chooses - but it must do so fairly and consistently rather than simply reneging on agreements with foreign companies.

ISDS provisions will give investors in Vietnam the confidence that the Vietnamese government won't be able to act as the Argentinian government did in 2012, when it seized 51 per cent of the assets of a Spanish oil company.

These assurances help provide countries like Vietnam with the capital they so desperately need. Concluded ISDS cases consistently emphasise the rights of governments to regulate industries.

In one case, a Canadian chemical company that was the sole producer of a petrol additive sued the US government for banning the chemical, claiming unfair discrimination. The case was thrown out and the tribunal stated that investors can't expect environmental, health and safety regulations to remain the same.

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It is no mystery that Vietnam does not meet many basic labour standards. Many will be surprised to learn that the TPP contains provisions to implement International Labour Organisation standards across signing countries.

The existence of arbitration mechanisms means that trade unions will have the ability to bring cases where governments do not meet their obligations.

When 90,000 workers went on strike earlier this year protesting changes to social security, the government did not launch a crackdown on strikers as it has done many times in the past - a change many attribute to Vietnam's involvement in TPPA negotiations.

Similarly, in 2013 more than 60 people were convicted for peaceful political expression. In 2015, there has only been one such case.

The human rights we take for granted are still not available in Vietnam, and ensuring a more open and prosperous country will go a long way to ensuring the basic dignities its people so desperately need.

If Oxfam truly believes its own mission statement of "working to end poverty and injustice" I believe it is imperative that it abandons its opposition to an agreement that will greatly enhance the lives of millions of people living in poverty in Southeast Asia.

Increasing trade and encouraging Vietnam to open up is one of the most effective ways of allowing its people to realise their potential. As a result, I believe attempting to sink the agreement because of relatively minor domestic concerns is nothing other than selfish.