groundswell bass coast climate change renewable energy

TPP opens up trade between members but makes trade more difficult with non-members through a process known as “cumulative rules of origin” where members lose privileges if they source inputs from countries outside the TPP…The Productivity Commission has been strongly critical of the provisions saying that they turn so-called free trade agreements into “preferential” agreements…The Partnership also requires members to sign up to tough intellectual property provisions and to submit to ISDS(investor-state dispute settlement) procedures administered by outside tribunals.

Notes: ISDS example is Phillip Morris prosecuting Aust government, to compensate for loss of business caused by plain paper packaging, court case they lost, expensively held in Hong Kong. Similarly, risk of compensation litigation by foreign ownership of fossil fuel burning power stations if regulations to limit emissions, pay sensible royalties etc. TPP agreement is 6,000 pages!! Per above, “penalties for source inputs outside of TPP” group of 12 doesn’t include trading partners like China, nor Thailand, nor Indonesia.

Particular note is per previous FreeTradeAgreements, USA blocked imports of things like beef and sugar. Andrew Robb appears confident that such blocks will be lifted and Barnaby Joyce is gleeful about farming growth in Qld. Pity such growth spells disaster for Great Barrier Reef.

Linked article draws attention to “interested persons and organisations to make submissions for the the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) by Friday, 11 March 2016.”
>more> Parliament web site. Climate change activists encouraged to submit (believe it or not – TPP excludes any consideration of climate change)!!!
>more> TheAge