Economy
TPP: Treated like mushrooms
Australian Greens comment on the final day of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Ministers’ meeting.
The Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, provides the following comments on the final day of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Ministers’ meeting.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “In Sydney today, Trade Ministers from twelve nations will be discussing how Australia’s laws should be changed to suit big businesses in other countries and yet our Trade Minister won’t tell you what he is trading away.
“Andrew Robb is treating the Australian Parliament, the press and the public like mushrooms. We are all being kept in the dark.
“He says he can’t tell anyone or myself as a Parliamentarian what he is trading away. He says ‘trust me’.”
“Yet, the US Trade Representative is on the record saying that all US congressmen can view their trade proposals, the draft text and even the negotiating documents.
“The US government is giving their legislators information about what is in the TPP, whereas the Australian government is not.
“Also, the Trade Ministers this weekend were discussing how state-owned enterprises should be regulated. This captures our public broadcasters, ABC and SBS; Tasmanian and Snowy Hydro; and Australia Post.
“Because these organisations are publically funded and compete globally they will be caught up in the TPP. They may be forced to sell off some aspects of their enterprise or to change their business model.
“Local content on television is already up for grabs in the TPP, now the entire business model for the ABC and SBS could also be affected.
“I’m calling on the Government to rule out that they will trade away any aspect of the ABC or SBS in these trade negotiations,” Senator Whish-Wilson concluded.
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