April 6, 2015
Maranoa Greens spokesman Grant Newson has added a local voice to the growing opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) , the free trade deal being negotiated behind closed doors involving Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
No one outside the Federal Government has seen the suggested text of the deal, but documents published by WikiLeaks have suggested that US negotiators are targeting:
- Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, potentially making medicines more expensive;
- Protections against GMO crops and food;
- Local content provisions on TV and radio;
- Environmental standards,
- Labour laws; and
- Giving multinational corporations the right to sue the Australian government.
“For the past four years Australian government representatives have been negotiating a free trade deal in secret,” Mr Newson said.
“This has serious implications for the future of all Australians and that of our environment.
“Global health professionals, environmentalists, internet freedom activists, labour advocacy groups and elected officials have criticised and protested these negotiations because of the proceedings’ secrecy, their expansive scope, and controversial clauses discovered in leaked drafts.
“Calls for greater public scrutiny and discussion before a final agreement is reached are being dismissed as a ‘threat to trade’.
“A range of experts have highlighted the potential consequences of some clauses which would permit foreign companies to sue national governments, when changes to domestic laws affect a company’s investments or profits.
“Do we really want to have an Australia where we have to pay a foreign company NOT to dig up our agricultural land for mines, or NOT to destroy our coastline or native forests?
“Our laws should protect all Australians and our livelihoods and the unique places which we love and enjoy. They should not protect the profits of foreign multinationals, which just may be the case if this TPP agreement comes to fruition.”
Trade Minister Andrew Robb has rejected criticism of the TPP deal as “scaremongering”.
He said the deal would be “subjected to parliamentary scrutiny” prior to any final ratification by Parliament.
External links:
- What Will The TPP Mean For Australia? (ABC)
- How Do We Make Sense Of the TPP Secret Negotiations? (ABC)
- Robb Strongly Rejects TPP Scaremongering (Media Release)
- TPP Investment Chapter (WikiLeaks)
- TPP Secretly Trading Away Your Rights (Choice)
- The Dirtiest Deal You Have Never Heard Of (GetUp)
