January 22, 2019: The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union President Andrew Dettmer yesterday welcomed the announcement of an ALP national procurement policy that will apply to Commonwealth government purchasing of $50 billion per year. He said it would create more local manufacturing jobs and training in regional Australia, and congratulated union members who campaigned for the policy.
The Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET) is a network of community groups and individuals that campaigns for fair trade based on human rights, labour rights and environmental sustainability (see www.aftinet.org.au).
January 17, 2019: While the TPP-11 came into force on December 30, 2018, with six of the eleven signatories ratifying, the new Malaysian government has not ratified the TPP-11 and is seriously reviewing their entire approach to trade and investment agreements.
January 16, 2019: The massive rejection of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit Withdrawal Bill yesterday supercharges the drama over the future of Europe and the future of trade and investment deals world-wide.
January 9, 2019: A decision by the Indonesian Constitutional Court on November 22, 2018, has found that the Indonesian President cannot approve trade agreements without presenting them to the House of Representatives for approval. All such agreements will need to be reviewed.
January 8, 2019: Using the Investor-State Dispute provisions of the North America Free Trade Agreement, a USA mining company, Legacy Vulcan, lodged a claim for US$500 million against the Mexican government on January 3, 2019. It cited tax and environmental regulations in its claim, of which it first gave formal notice on September 3, 2018.
20 December 2018: Academic Kyla Tienhaara argues in The Conversation that fossil fuels have no future but companies are using ISDS to sue governments as they act to reduce carbon emissions.
December 16, 2018 Dr Patricia Ranald outlined AFTINET's vision for trade justice at a fringe event at the ALP conference,.
17 December 2018: AFTINET convener Dr Patricia Ranald writes in the Guardian on the risk that Adani could sue our government for millions through Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), should their mining licence be cancelled by a future government.
Yet another example of why Labor should implement its policy against ISDS in all trade agreements, and remove it from current deals like the TPP.