Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Whish-Wilson, and spokesperson for Industrial Relations, Adam Bandt, will today release the Greens Trade initiative and call for Labor to stop trying to have it both ways on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), workers’ rights and local procurement policies.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The ALP continues to walk both sides of the street on the TPP. Their MPs say they oppose Investor-State Dispute Settlement clauses (ISDS), but if their policy is to mean anything they must vote against the TPP.

The Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says the Senate report into the Commonwealth’s treaty-making process vindicates the stance the Greens have taken on these agreements over previous years.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “These ‘trade deals’ aren’t what they used to be. It’s no longer simply about tariffs and quotas, or trading commodity exports for manufacturing imports. These modern agreements now cover every aspect of public policy.

Today in the Senate the Australian Greens attempted to move a motion calling on the Government to make human rights for women, religious minorities, and LGBT individuals a condition of trade under the already secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) but were blocked by not only the Government Senators but also Labor and the Palmer United Party.

The Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson provides the following comments in response to the WikiLeaks revelation about the details of the Trade in Services Agreement being negotiated by the Australian Government.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Today we learnt from WikiLeaks what the Australian government is secretly negotiating away in our name.

‘Profiting from crisis' a report into the use of investment treaties in struggling European economies by the Transnational Institute and Corporate Europe Observatory (March 2014) 

American Conservative think tank the Cato Institute explores ISDS provisions (March 4 2014)

Put simply, ISDS allows foreign investors to sue governments if their investments are ‘harmed' by a national, state or local policy or law. We know from ISDS clauses in other so-called FTAs this mechanism could;

The purpose of the Trade and Foreign Investment (Protecting the Public Interest) Act 2014 is to protect Australian laws by banning Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions. The Bill has been referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation committee for inquiry.

If you have concerns with ISDS and support protecting Australian laws by banning ISDS, it's vital that you let the Australian parliament know by making a submission to this inquiry.  The number and quality of submissions is important and will make a difference.

For over three years Senator Peter Whish-Wilson and the Greens repeatedly called for the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) to be made public and warned against the dangers of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).

Greens spokesperson for whaling, Senator Whish-Wilson responds to the latest brazen attacks by the Japanese whaling fleet on the Sea Shepherd vessels.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, "Greg Hunt broke a promise to send the ACV Ocean Protector to the Southern Ocean to protect human life at sea. Because of this Liberal government we now have no on-water search and rescue capacity to deal with a disaster in the Southern Ocean. This puts Australians lives at risk."

With today’s release of the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the Greens are going on the record that they will not support any Free Trade Agreements to pass the parliament that include Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “This Free Trade Deal is designed to supercharge coal and gas exports to Korea by multi-national corporations at the expense of local industries and local communities.

“And with the inclusion of the controversial ISDS clauses, the Government has put the profits of the powerful corporations ahead of people.