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Australian media following the TPP leaked chapter

19/11/2013

Since WikiLeaks released the draft text of the TPP's intellectual property chapter last week, there have been a number of analysis articles published, including the following:

The New Matilda asked a range of experts including academics, an activist and a public health specialist for their take on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and its implications: TPP 'A Substantial Threat To Australian Sovereignty'.

ANU lecturer Ruth Townsend published a piece on The Conversation about Australian sovereignty and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses.
When trade agreements threaten sovereignty: Australia beware

The Conversation also published an analysis of the leaked IP chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and what this would mean for the public's intellectual property rights: Regional trade pact puts Australia in ‘absurd’ position, say experts

A Brisbane radio station broadcast an interview with Melanie Walker , the Acting CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia, who spoke on medicines, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, tobacco plain packaging, food labeling and alcohol health warnings.

TPP Intellectual Property draft chapter leak

WikiLeaks has leaked a draft of the highly controversial intellectual property chapter of the TPP.

Three articles were published in the Sydney Morning Herald today.

Australians may pay the price in Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement by Philip Dorling

Australia backs the US at every turn against its own consumers by Peter Martin

Medicine prices could rise under Trans-Pacific Partnership deal by Julia Medew

See AFTINET's Media Release

14/11/2013

Stiglitz on why investor state dispute settlement is a bad idea

Nobel prize winning economist, Joseph E. Stiglitz comes out strongly against investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in trade and investment deals including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

South Africa is now joining Ecuador and Venezuela in terminating some investment agreements. In his piece, 'South Africa Breaks Out', Stiglitz explains why other countries should follow suit.

Activist from El Salvador to speak at AFTINET's AGM

Guest Speaker: Vidalina Morales

Investor Rights to Sue and Gold Mining in El Salvador

Vidalina Morales is a small scale farmer and a mother of five from El Salvador. In 2006 she discovered that her community was under threat from the El Dorado mining project by Canada-based mining company, Pacific Rim. She is now recognised as one of the leading voices in the environmental defense movement in El Salvador.

 

After widespread community protest, the government in El Salvador suspended mining licences for environmental and public health reasons. Pacific Rim is now using investor-state dispute settlement in a trade agreement to sue the government because this legislation. An Australian company, Oceania Gold, has a major shareholding in the company. Vidalina will speak on behalf of anti-mining group La Mesa.

These are the same investor rights to sue that we are campaigning against in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and other trade agreements.

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