2015-11-06
Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says now the text has finally been released stakeholders and the community will at last get the chance to scrutinise it, but only after it is too late to change any of it.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “We will be looking closely at the details and consulting with stakeholders to examine the implications of the fine print. The text is 6000 pages long and full of technical and legal jargon.
“So far, we have heard from stakeholders that our greatest concerns have been validated.
“The TPP will give carte blanche to US-based multinationals to sue our government for making laws that harm their profit, even if those laws are made in the public interest.
“The so-called protections the government has talked about are as weak as water. There is nothing to stop the real experience of major companies undertaking strategic litigation against governments just to frighten other governments into thinking twice when making laws.
“The so-called environmental protections that President Obama said would be included in the agreement are mere greenwashing and offer no new or binding protections.
“In fact, the detail in the TPP text makes it possible for companies to challenge laws designed to reduce emissions and protect the environment.
“The Greens are standing against the China-Australia trade agreement because it gives rights to companies to sue our governments, and we will stand against the TPP too.
“Labor rolled over on ChAFTA. We have no confidence that they won’t roll over on the TPP as well,” he concluded.