Korea Free Trade Agreement to hit to Tasmanian jobs

Greens spokesperson for trade Senator Peter Whish-Wilson has called into question the Liberals commitment to Tasmania by signing up to the KAFTA that they knew would cost Tasmanian jobs.

The Senate agreed to Senator Whish-Wilson’s motion calling on the Government to release the modelling for KAFTA.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “the modelling for KAFTA clearly shows that Tasmanian employment is going to take a hit from this deal. It is written in black and white.

“Every trade deal picks sectors to be winners and losers. The winners gain by getting new export markets, the losers suffer when they compete with cheaper imports. And each state wins or loses based on the type of industries they contain.

“Victoria may win, New South Wales may win, but the modelling for this deal shows that Tasmania is going to lose.

“How in any conscience could the Liberal Party endorse a deal that is going to send Tasmania backwards? Where was Eric Abetz in that cabinet meeting that signed off on this deal?

“From dodgy Managed Investment Schemes, to exporting jobs to the mainland, to signing this deal, you simply can’t trust Liberals to look after the interests of the Tasmanian economy,” Senator Whish-Wilson concluded.
Greens spokesperson for trade Senator Peter Whish-Wilson