Last week the Australian Senate called on the Australian Government to request that the Productivity Commission undertake a comprehensive socio-economic cost-benefit inquiry into the impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement on Australia.  See Senator Whish-Wilson's motion below which was passed by the Senate.

Senator Whish-Wilson amended general business notice of motion no. 695 by leave and, pursuant to notice of motion not objected to as a formal motion, moved - That the Senate-

    (a)   notes that the Malaysian Government:

The Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, today questioned Treasury officials about the so-called economic benefits of the Abbott Government’s trade deals. Treasury officials revealed that that have done no modelling on the economic benefits of these deals to include in GDP forecasts.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The incoming Government brief prepared by Treasury in 2010 said that the potential benefits of the Free Trade Agreements currently under negotiation have been oversold and the negatives largely ignored.

The Greens’ spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says the Abbott Government’s radical free trade agenda risks impacting on day-to-day domestic policy issues including our ability to respond such crises as the frozen berry contamination scare of this week.

Senator Whish-Wilson said “Current and future trade agreements are weakening our sovereign ability to set stringent food safety, food labelling and quarantine standards.

With Andrew Robb today trumpeting the start date for the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) the Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson highlights the multi-billion dollar impacts the Government’s trade agenda has had on the Federal budget.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “This government loves to talk up their trade deals, but they are silent on the multi-billion dollar impact these decisions have had on the Federal budget.

The Greens will act in the first week of the Abbott parliament to end the secrecy around the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) trade talks.
 
“After attending the briefing put on by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Wednesday, which the government banned journalists from reporting, I’m more concerned than ever about the current process in place and how the lack of transparency threatens Australia’s future sovereignty,” said Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, Australian Greens spokesperson on trade.
 

Wednesday, October 31 2012

Greens Call for Triple Bottom Line Approach to Free Trade Agreements.

 The Australian Greens do not believe the Malaysia Australia Free Trade Agreement should proceed because of the continuing reluctance of the Government to provide any analysis of the full social and economic impacts of free trade agreements, citing their dissenting report released today.