THE TRANS PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT - WHAT IS IT?

A summary of the TPPA

The Trans-Pacific Partnership – or TPP – is a massive trade deal covering 40 per cent of the world’s economy, involving the US, Australia and 10 other Pacific Rim countries.

Except it’s not only – or even mainly – about trade. It is about rules for global corporations which could prevent future governments from protecting the public interest.

The US government and corporations are campaigning for an agreement which would threaten the affordability of medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the practice of labelling of genetically engineered food, Australian content rules in film, television and radio, and rules for local content and jobs in government purchasing.

Read this Check Out giving an overview of the TPPA (with thanks to AFTINET), what US business wants from the TPPA and what we can do about it.

Access to affordable medicines in Australia is under threat

The TPPA agenda on health issues is being set by giant US pharmaceutical and tobacco corporations. These corporations are pushing for new rules which favour their profit margins at the expense of access to affordable medicines for ordinary people.

Read the Check Out  Don’t Trade Away Health (with thanks to AFTINET) to find out more.

Workers rights, not corporate rights

The US business agenda within TPPA negotiations is about more rights for corporations, but less rights for workers, and less ability for governments to make laws in the public interest.

US corporations want unrestricted access to Australian government contracts. They want changes to Australian government purchasing policies which allow for some local employment, and which require all government contractors to implement workers’ rights in the Fair Work Act and in industry agreements, especially for vulnerable workers in cleaning and clothing trades. US companies oppose purchasing policies which protect local jobs and workers’ rights.

We want the Australian government to refuse these US demands and to continue to have policies for Australian content and workers’ rights in government purchasing, and for Australian content and jobs in film, television and digital products.

Read our Check Out on Workers’ Rights, Not Corporate Rights for more information (with thanks to AFTINET).

Claimed economic benefits

According to a recent World Bank study any economic growth Australia experiences resulting from the TPP is likely to be negligible – their best guess is that it would only add about 0.7 per cent to economic growth by 2030.

What can you do?

February 2016:

The Government wants to rush the TPP’s implementing legislation through Parliament, refusing to commission an independent assessment of what the agreement will really mean for the Australian people.

If Parliament votes yet, the TPP will lock us into these destructive rules for decades to come.

There’s still a chance to stop the TPP before it locks us in to these destructive rules for decades to come.

Labor, independent and Greens senators have the majority in the Senate – if they vote no to this dodgy deal the Government won’t be able to ratify it.

With that vote likely to take place in the next few months, now is the time to take action.

Tell your MPs and especially your Senators that without a proper, unbiased assessment of the deal they should vote NO to the TPP’s implementing legislation.

You can send an email to your MP and Senators here.

If you want to do more, you can also visit your local MP or Senator using this kit.

For more information on the TPP, see: www.aftinet.org.au