The Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson provides the following comments on the failure of Trade Minister Andrew Robb to reach an agreement on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “After 5 years of secret negotiations, today’s failure by Andrew Robb to secure a final agreement on the TPP should be a clear signal that the deal is not in our national interest and Australia should walk away immediately.
“The reported failure to reach a final agreement on highly sensitive issues such as monopoly rights for medicines and Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), which gives corporations special rights to sue our government, should be the final straw for Australia’s participation in these dangerous anti-democratic negotiations.
“How many more millions of tax payer’s dollars are going to be thrown at a trade negotiation process that has now proved impossible and very unpopular? Even the Senate Foreign Affairs Defence Trade Committee has said this trade process is broken and wholly unsatisfactory.
“Does anyone genuinely believe this whole farce of a process has been acceptable?
“The world’s largest corporations and their lobbyists have used this secretive trade deal process as a Trojan horse to get what they want, and the people have had no say. This trade deal process is akin to a corporate takeover of democracy.
“If Mr Robb doesn’t accept the bleeding obvious and he chooses to continue talks on highly contentious issues, he must release the TPP text and let parliament and the people know what is being negotiated.
“Once the deal is signed, it cannot be changed or amended.
“It is bitterly disappointing that right to the end, Trade Minister Robb continued to thumb his nose in defiance of the Australian Senate which demanded his government release the text for public and parliamentary scrutiny at least two weeks prior to signing any deal. Malaysia, one of the TPP partners, is releasing the text prior to signing the agreement but Minister Robb is not.
“If the text was released it would have at least provided an opportunity for democratic input into a partnership agreement which sets new rules and regulations across just about ever aspect of our society and economy. The TPP will impact public health, labour and environmental standards, monopoly rights on intellectual property, restrictions on innovation and digital rights.
“No one has worked harder than the Greens in the Australian parliament to raise awareness on the risks of this mega secret deal and its implications for our society and democracy.
“The Greens will continue to work with Labor and cross benchers to block the TPP enabling legislation if it ever comes to the Senate”, he concluded.
