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TPP Urgent letter to the Trade Minister: Don't trade away our health, sovereignty, democracy

Trade Ministers from the 12 TPP countries will meet in Singapore on December 7-9 to make decisions about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). But the US is still exerting strong pressure for stronger patent laws which would result in higher medicine prices, and for investor-state dispute settlement clauses, which allow foreign corporations to sue governments over health and environment laws which are seen to 'harm' their interest. This would affect our ability to regulate in the public interest, and undermine our democracy and sovereignty.

We need to act now to ensure that these proposals are rejected.

Please send this new, updated letter to Trade Minister Andrew Robb asking him to reject proposals in the TPP which would increase medicine prices, and allow foreign investors to sue our governments.

Send the letter to Trade Minister Andrew Robb

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.

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