Dear Dr Emerson,

I am concerned about the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement (TPPA) being negotiated between Australia, the US, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. The agenda is being heavily influenced by US corporations which regard many areas of Australian public interest regulation as barriers to trade.

I congratulate your government for its steadfast opposition to the attempt by the Philip Morris tobacco company to sue for damages over the tobacco plain packaging legislation.

As pressure mounts to conclude the negotiations in 2013, I ask you to continue to implement your policies to reject investor rights to sue governments and to reject proposals which would mean higher prices for medicines.

I also ask you to reject proposals for increased rights for patent and copyright holders at the expense of consumers, for reduction of Australian content in government purchasing, for reduction of Australian content in audio-visual media, for removal of labelling of genetically engineered food, and to reject any other proposals which would reduce the capacity of government to regulate in the public interest.

I ask you to support enforceable workers’ rights and environmental protections, and to release the text of the agreement for public and Parliamentary discussion before it is signed by Cabinet.

Yours sincerely