Community & Unions Rally
INTERNATIONAL FAIR TRADE DAY
Against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement
Date: Saturday, May 11
Time: 11.00 am – 11.45 am
Location: GPO Cnr Burke & Elizabeth St
Defend Australian owned services and products. Say no to foreign corporations’ demands for higher medicine prices, less foreign investment controls and corporate rights to sue governments over health and environment policies!
Global corporations and the US government want Australia to sign a Free Trade Agreement that could:
– give foreign investor companies the right to sue the Australian Government in an international tribunal – if Australian laws and standards on OH&S, the environment, public education and other government funded services diminish their profits
– increase the cost of medicines by weakening our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme by deregulating pharmaceutical prices.
– remove minimum Australian content requirements in our media & entertainment
– open up the Australian economy to greater foreign ownership and more privatisation of public services
– diminish the rights and working conditions of workers
Speakers from Unions & Community Groups
Endorsed by – VTHC, CFMEU, MUA, CWU, NTEU, Spirit of Eureka, Migrante (Melbourne), Western Suburbs Community and Unions Coalition & AFTINET
WHAT’S THE TRANS PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (TPP) FREE TRADE AGREEMENT?
1. The Australian Government is negotiating the TPP free trade agreement with the US, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam & Japan. These negotiations are secret with little public consultation. There have been 16 rounds of negotiation since 2010.
Leaked documents show that the rights of global corporations are being extended at the expense of people’s rights.
The TPP free trade agenda is being set by US corporations, the US government and global big business groups. It threatens the loss of more local jobs, hard-won workers’ rights, lower Health & Safety and environmental standards, and more public services opened up for privatisation.
2. The TPP could grant global corporations unrestricted access to Australian markets, and grant foreign corporations special rights in Australia. It could further undermine local manufacturing & resource-processing industries. The TPP involves the potential surrender of aspects of Australian national sovereignty.
3. The US wants special rights for foreign investors to sue governments if their investments are ‘harmed’ by local laws or policy. These disputes are heard by international investment tribunals which give priority to corporate investor rights, even if the local law or policy protects health or the environment.
4. Once the treaty has been finalised by the negotiators, it will go to the Australian Cabinet for approval, and then the Australian Parliament. Demand that your Member of the House of Representatives (MHR) and your Senators guarantee a full debate is held in Federal & State Parliaments before Australia agrees to the TPP. Australian-owned services & jobs will certainly depend on it !!!
Further information is available from the
Australian Fair Trade & Investment Network (AFTINET)
Video satire of the TPP = Corporate Power Tool of the 1%
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SOokUdKYcM
