TPP National Interest Analysis a ‘farce’, say Greens

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news A National Interest Analysis of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) that was tabled yesterday in Parliament has been been heavily criticised by Australian Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson.

The TPP is a controversial trade agreement among twelve Pacific countries which reached agreement in early October last year after years of negotiations. The treaty is controversial because it forces countries such as Australia to adopt rules such as investor-state dispute mechanisms which can allow corporations to sue governments for taking certain actions, as well as introducing new intellectual property controls.

Digital rights activists globally have fought hard to block the TPP over the past seven years that it has been being negotiated. One of the last chance to do so appears to be in the United States, where the US Congress has yet to formally ratify the treaty and many MPs on both sides of the US Congress oppose it.

Labelled the document a “farce”, Whish-Wilson said: “The TPP National Interest Analysis presented to Parliament is not an independent assessment of the costs and benefits of this agreement, it is simply a more detailed set of talking points coming from DFAT and [Minister for Trade and Investment] Andrew Robb’s office.”

“Unsurprisingly DFAT and Andrew Robb have marked their own homework and given themselves top marks,” he said.

The senator said that Parliament needs to have a “proper independent assessment” of the TPP and that government should refer the entire agreement to the Productivity Commission for assessment.

“Not only is Parliament unable to change one line in this 6,000 page text, but Andrew Robb is too frightened to give parliamentarians the opportunity to see an independent assessment of its impact on Australia,” said Senator Whish-Wilson.

He further suggested that Minister Robb is “rushing this process” despite no sign that the US Congress will begin its assessment and ratification process of the TPP in the foreseeable future.

“Rushing the TPP ratification leads to risks that Australia will have signed up to an agreement that will then be subject to changes made by Congress at a later date,” he concluded.

Introducing the TPP tabling and the National Interest Analysis in Parliament, the Minister for Trade and Investment quoted from the latter document, saying:

“By setting common international trade and investment standards between member countries, the TPP will make doing business across the region easier, reducing red tape and business costs.

“Increased and more efficient trade and investment in the region will benefit the Australian economy.  Improved market access for Australian goods and services exports and lower import prices will increase capital accumulation, raise productivities and improve utilisation of resources.”

He further countered claims by opponents that the government’s involvement in the TPP negotiations was “shrouded in secrecy”.

Minister Robb said: “[T]he National Interest Analysis shows that since 2008, when negotiations commenced, almost 500 groups were consulted including individuals, NGOs, companies, academics, peak industry groups, consumer groups and trade unions.”

Image credit: Greens

8 COMMENTS

  1. “[T]he National Interest Analysis shows that since 2008, when negotiations commenced, almost 500 groups were consulted including individuals, NGOs, companies, academics, peak industry groups, consumer groups and trade unions.”

    Right. So all of those “consultations” agreed 100% with the text and the intention, their own analysis showed no problems whatsoever and only a few commas and a bit of bolding was added since then.

    Cue law suit from Tobacco companies 15 mins after this is ratified. Plain packaging – gone. Advertising/Sponsorship bans – gone. It’ll only take one success for the flood gates to open.

    Of course plenty will disagree but if you were a Big Corp wouldn’t you try it on?

    Australia, the 51st US state.

    • “Cue law suit from Tobacco companies 15 mins after this is ratified. Plain packaging – gone. Advertising/Sponsorship bans – gone. It’ll only take one success for the flood gates to open.”

      Pretty much exactly what I was thinking off when I read those provisions…the fun part is once it becomes legal here to do those shenanigans and when they win said case (and we all know they will since they can throw more money at lawyers then the government) we’ve just set up a wonderful precedent for them to target other countries who have done the same.

      Congratulations for setting back years of health initiatives among other things… so much for the days of corporate accountability eh?

    • Amazingly Big Tobacco is one of the only exceptions in the TPP, they cant sue over public health laws etc.

  2. I’m actually surprised the Libs are so hot about signing this considering the sovereign risk it creates for Australia.

    Remember the carry on from them about sovereign risk when Labor tried to bring in a quite sensible mining tax…

    • The libs are all about privatizing profits and socialising losses so I’m not surprised at all.

      • +1.

        “Soverreign risk” != “Corporate Profits” #! Corporate Profits >>> Sovereign risk !#

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