August 5, 2015 Dr Patricia Ranald's oped in the Sydney Morning Herald

With public hearings for the Parliamentary Inquiry into the China Free Trade Agreement under way, the Shenhua Watermark coal mine on the Liverpool Plains, in north-west NSW, may provide a test case for some of the key clauses in the agreement on governments' rights to regulate mining projects for environmental reasons and on the employment of temporary overseas workers on such projects.

Read more here

Media Release August 3, 2015

The failure of TPP Ministers to reach agreement in what was supposed to be the final round of negotiations last week vindicates the deep concerns of community groups that the TPP is secretly trading away issues like access to affordable medicines and governments’ right to regulate without being sued by foreign corporations. These are issues which should be decided though open democratic parliamentary processes, not secretly traded away for token access to sugar or dairy markets,” said Dr Patricia Ranald, Coordinator of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network.

Ministers failed to reach agreement, but claimed “significant progress” and said “intensive work” will continue. Another Ministerial Meeting may be held at the end of August.

Over 5,000 people rallied against the China - Australia Free Trade Agreement outside the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties hearing taking place in the NSW Parliament House. The rally was organised by Unions NSW.

Over 300 people from unions and community groups protested about the China - Australia Free Trade Agreement and the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership outside the ALP National Conference in Melbourne early on July 24, 2015.

MEDIA RELEASE, July 23, 2015

TPP Protest at ALP Conference, Melbourne on July 24 as TPP negotiators meet in Hawaii for possible shameful trade-offs

“Community groups are rallying in the Melbourne winter at 8 am on Friday July 24 outside the ALP conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre to ask the ALP to reject bad trade deals like the China FTA and the TPP. On the same day TPP negotiators begin their secret meeting in the luxury beach resort of Maui in Hawaii, with TPP Trade Ministers scheduled to meet there from July 28-31 to try to finish the deal,” Dr Patricia Ranald, Coordinator of the Australian Fair Trade and investment Network said today.

July 17, 2015 A cross-factional  group of unions is demanding stronger ALP policy against the China FTA and the TPP at the ALP conference on July 24. They want the ALP  to block implementing legislation for trade agreements which allow large numbers of temporary overseas workers without testing whether local workers are available and which contain foreign investor rights to sue governments over changes in domestic legislation (ISDS). Read the media release here

Crunch time is looming for the  China FTA  and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)   Make your voice heard!

Melbourne: Rally outside the ALP Conference on the China FTA and TPP, Friday July 24, 8 am, Melbourne Convention Centre, near the Polly Woodside ship.

Brisbane: Rally outside the China FTA Parliamentary hearings, Monday ,July 27, 12 noon,  Commonwealth Law Courts, North Quay

Adelaide: Public meeting on the China FTA and TPP, Tuesday, July 28, 7pm, Ingle Farm Recreation Centre, Cnr Roopena St & Beovich Rd, Ingle Farm.

Sydney: Rally outside the China FTA Parliamentary hearings, Friday, July 31, 12 noon, NSW Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney,

July 8, 2015: See Waleed Aly's  satirical take on the TPP on Channel 10's' The Project

July 12, 2015: Critical TPP discussion with Queensland University of Technology's Professor Matthew Rimmer, Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson and  Melbourne University's Professor Tania Voon on ABC Radio National Sunday Extra

July 9, 2015:  The Daily Telegraph hosts a debate between Union Secretary Michael O'Connor and Trade Minister Andrew Robb about the impact on jobs and workers' rights of the increases in temporary workers permitted by the terms of the China FTA.

July 8, 2015: Recent leaked documents of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations indicate that at the next meeting of Trade Ministers in Hawaii on July 28-31 the US will be still be pushing for 8-12 years data protection for biologics (the next generation of drugs).  This might be good for the profits of big US pharma companies but it will make medicines more expensive for Australians.