26/11/2013
During Senate Estimates last week, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement was questioned by Senator Penny Wong (Shadow Trade Minister), Senator Peter Whish-Wilson (Greens Trade Spokesperson) and Senator Madigan (Democratic Labour Party).
26/11/2013
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age today published the article 'US accused of war of attrition in Trade Talks'', by Peter Martin.
"Reports from the talks say US officials are refusing to budge on most of their demands, insisting that meetings go around the clock in the hope that they wear other countries negotiations down."
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.
The People's Health Movement Australia's Petition to Trade Minister Andrew Robb:
Support the 5-country proposal on patents and medicines in TPPA negotiations to safeguard access to medicines
21/11/2013
The Public Health Association is calling on the Australian Government to support efforts to protect access to medicines and public health measures in negotiations on the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
19/11/2013
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Australia’s right to know
by Dr Patricia Ranald, Convener of AFTINET, for The Conversation
In the history of trade agreement negotiations, most have been undertaken in secret, justified on the grounds that the governments’ negotiating positions would be weakened if they became public.
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
14/11/2013
The Financial Review reports the Greens and consumer groups renewed push for greater transparency in the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), calling for the agreement text to be published before further talks in December.
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.
This Guardian article recorded that journalists were banned from a TPP briefing in Sydney. Some were eventually admitted, but only on the basis that the briefing was “off the record”.