Media Release October 6, 2015

“The announcement of a secret ‘in principle’ TPP deal without publication of the text may hide shameful trade-offs on issues like medicines and corporate rights to sue governments. These should be decided though open democratic parliamentary processes, not secretly traded away for token access to sugar or dairy markets, The lack of access to details in the text means governments can put a positive spin on the deal, but the devil is in the detail, and we won’t have the detail for at least another month,” said Dr Patricia Ranald, Coordinator of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network.

MEDIA RELEASE October 4, 2015

MEDIA RELEASE  October 3, 2015                                                                                                                                               

"TPP negotiations in Atlanta, Georgia have been extended. The US has delayed its offers on market access for sugar and dairy products until the last minute, and is now pressuring Australia to agree to stronger monopolies which would delay affordable access to costly biologic medicines used to treat cancer, Trade Minister Robb should keep his promise and reject this shameful deal” Dr Patricia Ranald, Coordinator of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network said today. See full release here.

On September 30, in Atlanta, Georgia, cancer patient Zahara Heckscher was arrested after disrupting the negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in a protest aimed at maintaining access to affordable cancer medicines in the 12 countries affected by the trade treaty. See  her statement and link to pictures and video here

September 29, 2015 Dr Patricia Ranald's opinion piece in the Canberra Times, Melbourne Age and SMH says no to shameful trade-offs on medicines, copyright and ISDS in the TPP. AFTINET and PHAA also say no  tricky deal on medicines in the same publications.

Media Release, September 29, 2015

September 2015: RCEP negotiations between Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea, India and 10  ASEAN countries are now considering proposals for stronger monopolies on medicines and for foreign investor rights to sue governments over changes to domestic legislation, and aiming to finish the negotiations in 2016, AFTINET has done a second submission which addresses these issues in more detail.

September 25: See Sydney Morning Herald report here .

MEDIA RELEASE, September 24, 2015

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiators are meeting from September 26 ahead of a TPP Trade Ministers meeting from September 30 in Atlanta, Georgia in a desperate final attempt to reach a deal this year, AFTINET has sought a meeting with Prime Minister Turnbull to advocate that Australia should not agree to stronger monopolies on biologic medicines, draconian copyright rules on the Internet and to foreign investor rights to sue governments for damages over domestic legislation (ISDS). 

MEDIA RELEASE  September 18, 2015

“Trans-Pacific negotiators plan to meet from September 26 before TPP Ministers meet from September 30 in in Atlanta, Georgia in a desperate final attempt to reach a deal this year,” Dr Patricia Ranald, Coordinator of the Australian Fair Trade and investment Network said today.