Trade justice election forum: Can trade support the COVID recovery and help reduce carbon emissions?

May 17, 2022: In our election forum on trade justice, we introduced our scorecard on the track record of political parties on trade justice. Speakers examined how trade deals can help or hinder the next government in recovering from the COVID19 pandemic and decarbonising the economy.

You can watch the recording here.

Topics included: the parties’ trade track record and the need for trade transparency; the need to waive World Trade Organisation (WTO) monopoly rules on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments to ensure access for low-income countries; and the need for enforceable commitments to labour rights and environmental standards, including carbon emissions targets, in trade deals.

Our speakers:

• Dr Patricia Ranald, AFTINET Convener and Honorary Research Associate, Sydney University

• Associate Professor Deborah Gleeson, Latrobe University and Public Health Association of Australia

• Matthew Rose, Economy and Democracy Program Manager, Australian Conservation Foundation

• Steve Murphy, National Secretary, Australian Manufacturing Workers Unions (AMWU).