Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
Joint Standing Committee on Treaties
Report: Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement
The Australian Greens
The Australian Greens do not support the passage of the implementing legislation for the Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement (PAFTA). The Greens are troubled by key components of the PAFTA and its negotiation and assessment by the Australian Government. Concerns include;
the ability for large multi-national corporations to sue Australian governments under Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions;
a lack of enforceable commitments to key international environmental agreements;
the absence of an independent evaluation of the costs and benefits of PAFTA to the economy as a whole; and
the unnecessary addition of a second free-trade agreement with Peru who are signatory to the disastrous TPP.
This deal was negotiated to afford advantage to major, international corporations, not to help regular Australians. Australia’s trade negotiation needs a major overhaul and to be oriented toward transparency and the benefit of hard-working Australian’s not multinational corporations.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1:
That the Peru Australia Free Trade Agreement not be ratified.
Recommendation 2:
That the process for signing and ratifying trade deals and treaty agreements be radically overhauled to ensure genuine transparency and community consultation. The current system is opaque, outdated and no longer serves the public interest.
Recommendation 3:
A legislated ban on current and future Governments negotiating or signing any trade agreement or treaty that includes ISDS provisions.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
Greens Senator for South Australia