Danger in new trade agreement with the US

  • Thomas Faunce and Ruth Townsend

17 March 2010Why would any Australian government want another trade deal with the US, ask Ruth Townsend and Thomas Faunce in On Line Opinion

WHEN PRESIDENT Obama meets Prime Minister Kevin Rudd next week, near the top of their agenda will be the expanded Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Negotiations for this regional trade agreement are happening in Melbourne from March 15-19.

Without a feasibility study or widespread public consultation, Australia has already begun working with the United States, Chile, Peru and the P4 group of nations (New Zealand, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam) to expand the existing Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) signed in 2005. Of particular concern is the threat that the TPPA will impose a so-called “investor-state” dispute settlement process. This would allow US multinationals to sue Australian state or federal governments when those companies believe that laws (for example protecting the environment or public health) have damaged their investments...

Read the full article

Photo: iStockphoto

Related Topics

Economics

International

Health

Politics

Related content

Most viewed: This week

1
Web and Information Coordinator - Australian Policy Online (Position number: 29499)
2
Can nations measure well-being?
3
Six provocations for big data
4
What do pop-up shops and homelessness have in common?
5
Evidence-free policy making? The case of income management

Noticeboard

Review of Australian Contract Law
22 March 2012

The Attorney-General's Department has launched a new inquiry to explore the scope for reforming Australian contract law. There will be a three-month consultation period.

Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (the ACNC) starting in July 2012
07 March 2012

In May 2011 the Federal Government announced that the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) would commence operations from 1 July 2012 and that it would initially be responsible for determining the legal status of groups seeking charitable, public benevolent institution, and other not-for-profit (NFP) benefits on behalf of all Commonwealth agencies. 

Default Superannuation Funds in Modern Awards: new inquiry
07 February 2012
The Productivity Commission has been asked to report within 8 months on Default Superannuation Funds in Modern Awards. The inquiry covers the design of criteria for the selection and ongoing assessment of superannuation funds for nomination as default funds in modern awards.

Topics

APO