The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is a trade agreement being negotiated between Australia, the USA, New Zealand, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Japan, Canada and Mexico are also considering joining.
As a far-reaching trade agreement expected to put in place frameworks on critical issues for many years to come, the TPPA could result in significant changes to Ausralia's domestic laws in many areas including intellectual property, health and agriculture, to name just a few.
We don’t exactly know because the negotiations are secret and the only documents that are in the public domain have been leaked, and they are very worrying indeed.
Worse still, the nine governments, including Australia, have agreed that none of the background documents will be released until four years after the negotiations. As a result the public is being denied the opportunity to debate the merits of the TPPA, and to hold their government accountable.
Australians deserve to know what our government is trading in our name. Sign the petition calling on the Prime Minister and Trade Minister Emerson to release the TPPA text to the public
Dear Prime Minister Gillard and Minister Emerson
I am deeply concerned that you are keeping the text and negotiations around the Trans Pacific Partnership trade Agreement (TPPA) secret.
Leaked texts show that the USA is pushing to undermine Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, weaken environmental protection and labour laws, undermine our local content rules for radio and television, change copyright laws for the benefit of corporations rather than creators or the public, and empower multinational corporations to attack national policy in the public interest.
Your assurances are not enough. Trade negotiations are complex and affect all Australians, so it is critical that they are transparent and available for public discussion. I have a right to know what trade deals you are making in my name.
Please make the full TPPA draft texts and negotiations available to the public
