Additional comments—Australian Greens

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Australia and the United Arab Emirates

It is the Greens belief that clause 2.69 of the report is not protective enough of labour and human rights and this clause is unenforceable. The Greens are concerned there is growing instability around trade and potential tariff wars under the Trump Administration in the United States. Therefore, the likelihood of labour and human rights compromise is foreseeable. In this context, this agreement should be seen as an opportunity for Australia to set a precedent and strive towards fair and free trade agreements that set the remits and expectations relating to labour and human rights within trade agreements more generally. This would support the views of witnesses who attended the Inquiry and who raised concerns regarding human and labour rights. The Greens believe that trading relationships cannot be divorced from human rights concerns, and that Australia should give favoured status to countries with good human and labour rights records.

Senator Dorinda CoxSenator for Western Australia