The Abbott Coalition looks set to sign off on the highly secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership later this month, but what will it mean for ordinary Australians? Dr Matthew Mitchell reports. WHAT SORT of “Trade Agreement” manages to both criminalise internet use and force coal seam fracking onto communities? The answer is to this is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a pact that has the ominous potential to achieve both these corporate objectives — and many more. Of course, we cannot know the exact effects of the TPP, as the negotiations over the past few years have been held in secret. However, two leaked chapters – out of the 26 or more under negotiation – have caused more than their fair share of concern. One of these chapters threatens to undermine both our existing domestic and international legal systems, throwing away the protections and rights achieved over hundreds of years. The Gillard government made it clear that Australia would not sign another trade agreement that included international dispute settlement by tribunals. This followed Australians being burnt by an agreement that has allowed Phillip-Morris to take Australia to an international tribunal over its plain packaging laws, even though our own High Court already decided against Phillip-Morris. Other countries are experiencing equally serious consequences. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is being used by gas and oil company Lone Pine Resources to sue Canada over Quebec’s moratorium on fracking. A trade agreement was also used to sue Ecuador for USD $1.77 billion. The coalition’s trade policy document indicates that Abbott’s government will sign the TPP with acceptance of ISDSs because the Coalition is ‘…open to utilising investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses as part of Australia’s negotiating position.’ Not only that, but it says it will ‘…fast track the conclusion of free trade agreements.’ independentaustralia.net/2013/business/abbott-set-to-sign-secretive-tpp-agreement-this-month/
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 03:33:19 +0000
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