Dr Deborah Gleeson and Dr Paula O'Brien write in the Australian Medical Journal that the TPPA may create barriers to Australia introducing the optimal health warnings scheme for wine and spirit containers.
More.
03/10/2013
AFTINET and six public health organizations today urged the Abbott Government to reject proposals in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPPA) to increase monopoly privileges for drug companies which would increase medicine prices by delaying access to cheaper generic medicine.
Professor Matthew Rimmer criticises Coalition trade policy, TPPA secrecy and proposals for foreign investors to sue governments.
More than 70 organisations including 54 regional groups ranging from Mirboo in Victoria, to the Cassowary Coast in North Queensland, to Walgett in NSW, in traditional areas of Coalition support, have endorsed a letter to Trade Minister Andrew Robb. They oppose foreign investor rights to sue governments for damages in international tribunals over environmental regulation of coal seam gas mining.
AFTINET is hosting a public seminar to be held at NSW Parliament on Tuesday the 22nd of October from 12-2pm.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership endgame: corporate rights or peoples’ rights?
The US, Australia, New Zealand and nine other Pacific Rim countries have been negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPPA) trade agreement for the last three years. The pressure is on to finish the negotiations this year. But the agreement is not mainly about trade.
Details
Date: 22nd October, 12-2pm
Venue: NSW Parliament, Macquarie Room
Please RSVP by COB October 21 to campaign@aftinet.org.au
Workers' rights weak and not enforceable
Copyright law is meant to maintain a balance between the right of creators to a reasonable income through payments for the use of their work, and the rights of consumers to fair use of information. Most copyright is now held by corporations, which lobby for trade agreements to extend their rights.
Pharmaceutical companies already have 20 years of patents for monopoly higher prices on new medicines before cheaper versions become available.
The TPP includes rights for foreign corporations to sue governments for millions of dollars in international tribunals if they can argue that a change in domestic law or policy at national, state or local level will ‘harm’ their investment, known as Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).