Posted by WTO Watch Qld on December 8, 2002 at 18:29:10:
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"The claim that jobs will be created is not borne out by the Canadian
experience where, according to the Economic Policy Institute, in the first
seven years after signing the NAFTA net job losses were up to 270,000.
"The Canadian Labour Congress has identified increased inequality and
insecurity and erosion of the social safety net as the main consequences of
the NAFTA. In light of such impacts the question that must be asked is who
will benefit form the $4bn bonus John Howard claims that a FTA will deliver?
Senator Kerry Nettle MEDIA RELEASE 14.11.02
1) GATS UPDATE
a) Update from the Alliance to Expose GATS (Qld)
b) Government refuses Democrat's request for GATS details to be tabled in Senate
c) Greens on GATS in Senate
d) ALP media release re GATS
2) 'Get-out-of-GATS' campaign
3) PROPOSED US-AUSTRALIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (from AFTINET bulletin 48)
a) Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement: Call for Submissions by Jan 15
b) Points for Submissions
c) All the Way with the USA: SMH Article 15/2/02
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1) GATS UPDATE
a) Many thanks to all the people who offered to approach their local councils with the resolution on GATS. We have people approaching the Maroochy Council, and Cairns, Mareeba, Atherton, Mossman, and Cooktown councils in North Qld. The Alliance has approached Brisbane City Council, and the Lord Mayor and his cabinet are considering the matter.
If you would like to approach your local council, the Alliance would be happy to forward to you a copy of the proposed resolution and some background information on GATS and local government. Just contact me at gumbus@powerup.com.au
Although it is now certain that a Senate inquiry into GATS will be held, we need to keep the pressure on.
b) On Novenber 18th in the Senate the Government refused the order of the Senate of 14 November to table details of GATS requests. The original request (in July) was made by Senator Cherry (Dem, Qld).
Senate Hansard, 18 November 2002, p.6367: http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/dailys/ds181102.pdf
GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES
Return to Order
Senator IAN CAMPBELL (Western Australia—
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) (3.49
p.m.)—by leave—This return to order was made on
14 November and relates to the Leader of the Government
in the Senate in his role representing the
Minister for Trade. The order sought to get various
documents relating to texts of requests submitted by
Australia to other WTO members under the General
Agreement on Trade in Services negotiations. The
government does not intend to publish the actual text
of these requests, nor does it intend to publish the
actual text of requests received or documentation
analysing the impact of these requests. The government
has provided summaries of requests Australia
has made of other WTO members in press statements
from the Minister for Trade, the Hon. Mark Vaile MP,
of 1 July and 29 October.
The requests received are formal government to
government communications. We are not aware of
any other WTO member that has published the requests
it has received from or the requests it has
made of other WTO members. Release of requests
made by Australia would also be inconsistent with
commercial-in-confidence undertakings that have
been provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade to industry stakeholders.
The government is consulting, and will continue to
consult, widely with interested parties in formulating
its response to requests received. This response is due
by 31 March 2003 in the form of an ‘initial offer’.
Progress reports on the GATS negotiations are available
on the DFAT website, www.dfat.gov.au, as is
information about how to make submissions on particular
issues. Officers from the department have also
made a concerted effort to consult widely on GATS
issues, including by travelling interstate to meet nongovernment
organisations and call for public submissions.
The government will continue to publish as
much information as practicable on its negotiating
positions in the GATS where this would be consistent
with commercial confidentiality and would not compromise
Australia’s negotiating interests.
Senator CHERRY (Dem, Queensland) (3.51 p.m.)—by
leave—I move:
That the Senate take note of the statement.
The Democrats are very disappointed with the response
from the minister in respect of the order to
have the request dealing with the General Agreement
on Trade in Services, the GATS, tabled in the Senate.
The information released by the Australian government
to date has been well below the world best
practice of providing information to the public so
they can make some reasonable judgments on what is
happening in terms of the GATS negotiation. I have
in front of me the most recent newsletter from the
DFAT website, which runs to two pages. The only
information we have in terms of the requests which
have been made by Australia are dot points as to the
headings of the sections that have been requested. No
detail is provided. There is no information provided
either on what requests have been made from Australia,
other than the oft repeated insistence that the
government will consult widely in formulating its
response to the requests.
This is something which the Democrats have some
problems in believing because of the fact that the
Senate is not being consulted and we are actually part
of the decision making process of this country. The
public are not being consulted and it is their services
which are going to be affected. Certainly we are not
aware of any community groups which are being
consulted, Outside the particular service industries
and the business groups representing them, it appears
that the consultation is very narrow indeed.
The Democrats believe that Australia should be
following the precedent set by Canada and the United
Kingdom: releasing much more information so that
the public can actually know what is happening in
terms of the General Agreement on Trade in Services.
The United Kingdom has released a 70-page document
outlining the requests made to and from the
United Kingdom. Canada’s trade minister, Mr Pettigrew
has released a summary of all of Canada’s requests,
which runs to some 30 or 40 pages, which is
well beyond the two-page document on the DFAT
web site.
One would have thought, given the interest in
Europe and in this country in terms of the civil society
movement in trying to ensure that governments
are being held to account for what is happening at
trade negotiations, we would have seen more information
granted. It would seem that on this particular
occasion the government has chosen to defy a Senate
request for this very important information. In doing
so, the government has said that it does not believe
that the Senate has a role in deciding whether what
the government is proposing to trade-off or liberalise
in the regulation of our services is appropriate, and
that is very disappointing. We will have to find some
other way of getting this information from government
and we will look at other tactics.
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b) Senator Nettle speaks in Parliament on the WTO. This is an extract from her speech.
MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST: World Trade Organisation: General Agreement on Trade in Services
Senator Kerry Nettle (New South Wales) (1.15 p.m.)
I rise to speak on a matter of fundamental importance to the Australian economy and society, both now and in the future, and that is the issue of international trade. In this parliament, we often hear about the impact of international trade on our economic indicators. Statistics about trading figures are quoted by both sides of the chamber to demonstrate various different points at various different times. In presenting this matter of public interest, I would like to focus not on the economic indicators or dry numbers relating to trade but on the real social impacts and environmental implications of these economically driven decisions.
One of the unique things about the Greens is that in our policies we look beyond the assumptions that apply in many areas, including in the economy. There are two major parties in this chamber whose policy differences essentially split hairs in tinkering with the mechanics or the finetuning of the details of the trading system. In contrast, our major interest is in looking at questions that neither of these parties will address: the real effect of trade and economic policies on people's lives, the environment, the equity of our world for future generations, and the capacity to democratically shape our own society. The Greens' policy is based on a fundamental belief that economic systems should exist to support people, not the other way around. Too often the self-serving logic of corporations and economists takes too much for granted. We believe that, instead of adopting the vision of ordinary people to the pressures of powerful interests, we must imagine the economic world that we want and work to achieve it.
The World Trade Organisation provides a good example of this difference of approach. On Monday in the other place, the member for Farrer singled out Greens' policy for attack when she said that we must take on the international trading system on its own terms. The member's argument was that as a small economy we cannot expect to have control over our own economic destiny. She misses the point of Greens' policy, which is that there is nothing sacred about the international trading system. It is an artificial structure, set up by people for their own interests, and there is no reason why it cannot be and should not be turned around, taken over or turned down if it does not serve these interests. As a global movement, we advocate that this should happen on an international level. Indeed, Greens parties from around the world have signed on to a charter calling for the World Trade Organisation to be reformed to make sustainability its central goal. This reform must be supported by transparent and democratic processes and it must be accountable to representatives from affected communities. The WTO in its current form meets none of these requirements. Greens internationally state that if it cannot be reformed to meet these objectives it should be abolished.
The Greens believe that international agreements on the environment, labour conditions and health should take precedence over international rules on trade. The goals of these agreements promote quality of life, health and dignity of work and these are the very goals that the economic system is meant to be serving. But instead of serving these needs, we currently have a system where our environment, workers' conditions and human rights buckle under the power wielded by transnational corporations through the World Trade Organisation. In essence, we have the means overtaking the ends.
The next round of trade negotiations at the World Trade Organisation will focus on the General Agreement on Trade in Services, or GATS. This agreement seeks to force national governments to deregulate and privatise their essential public services. These services include health, education and environmental regulation. The negotiations affect every level of government, from national to local, and every aspect of people's lives. At the next round of the World Trade Organisation meetings in Mexico next year, we will see a continuation of the push to expand the scope of the General Agreement on Trade in Services. It was driven by the transnationals of the service industry, the fastest growing sector of the world economy. The aim of these negotiations is to force all countries, developing countries in particular, to open their doors and commit to essential services being listed in the GATS negotiations and therefore open them to deregulation, privatisation and international competition. I will be moving a motion in the Senate later today to address some of the worst aspects of this situation. I will call on the government to reveal Australia's negotiating position at these WTO talks. I look forward to the support of the majority of senators for that motion.
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c) ALP Media release on GATS
(ED: As a result of lobbying by The Democrats,the Greens, and community organisations, the ALP has now publicly stated that it will support Senate Inquiry into the GATS.)
-----Original Message-----
From: Gibson, Vikki (S. Crean, MP)
Sent: Friday, 22 November 2002 11:50 AM
Subject: CRAIG EMERSON MEDIA RELEASE, 22 NOV 2002 - SHHH, DON'T MENTION THE GATS
021122 EMERSON - Shhh, don't mention the GATS.doc
22 November 2002
Shhhhhh, don' t mention the GATS
The Government has confirmed that it has no plans to make public the position it will take on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) before Australia signs up to the new agreement.
Last night at Senate Estimates, despite repeated questioning and prompting, Departmental officials were unable to give details on the specific requests made in the current round of negotiations.
The Government also confirmed that the Trade Minister has no plans to reveal the details of the GATS negotiations before Australia signs up to the new agreement.
When pressed, Senator Robert Hill was unable to even give a commitment that the Government would allow parliamentary scrutiny of Australia's GATS negotiations before they were completed.
In principle, Labor supports the liberalisation of trade in services.
Further liberalisation offers new opportunities for creating high-quality Australian jobs through the opening up of overseas markets for Australian service providers.
At the same time, Labor is committed to ensuring that Australia does not relinquish control of the nation' s public institutions, such as our health and education services, in the GATS negotiations.
Labor supports openness and transparency in the GATS negotiations.
That is why Labor will be pushing for a Senate inquiry into the GATS.
The community expects to be informed, not kept in the dark.
Contact: Craig Emerson 0418 781 386 or Brendan Shaw 0413 013 501
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2) GET-out-of-GATS campaign
We all witnessed the media coverage of the WTO conference held in Sydney this week (November 14, 15). We all know that there were demonstrations against what the WTO representatives propose and that people were trampled by police horses and that one big brave policeman was kicked in the groin and put out of action, but why the demonstrators were there was never disclosed. If we continue to rely on the popular media for information we will get none, except for what the PM said as he entered the WTO conference, “Globalisation is here. We are going to have to like it or lump it” or words to that effect. Part of globalisation, - is to have no say whatsoever in what is happening. If you want a say, we will use whatever to trample you into the ground to prevent it.
Be well aware: All this might seem like railing against some abstract kind of global tyranny, a plan to force us to “share destitution” under the guise of “sharing wealth”. But this is only the tip of the GATS iceberg; GATS means things quite specific: Not only the end of democracy, but the end of independent sovereignty of the individual and of nations and the end of representative government. Do not think that in future you will be able to bring your government to book when people are dying because they can not afford medical treatment. Or the education system fails, dumbing-down instead of educating. Millionaires with no tie to, or interest in your welfare, own and control most manufacturing and primary industries. They are now moving to control all human services, (every human activity). This is what GATS is about, moving ownership and control from the people to the moneyed elite. There will be nobody to complain to, except maybe a recorded voice and you will not be able to vote them out.
What action can we take? Are we just going to sit on our hands and cop whatever they have in store for us, including the planned bowl-of-rice-a-day economy we are being mustered into by GATS and the WTO.
It is imperative that we have an organised and effective campaign to defeat this attempt to enslave us: We have planned just such a campaign, a campaign involving mums and dads and all other Australians. It’s called GET-out-of-GATS which we must do if we are to survive as an independent people with opportunity. The only opportunity under globalisation will be the opportunity to become one of the New World Order’s Gestapo prepared to trample your fellow Australian into the ground, as we saw police do at many WTO conferences around the world, including Melbourne and now Sydney.
The GET-out-of-GATS campaign is essential not only to get out of GATS but as a second win,- beating back the proposed MAI being the first,- in the rejection of the New World Order plan to enslave us under government where we have no representation and no say.
The GET-out-of-GATS campaign represents the most powerful thing we can do and is totally responsible and as such will involve the mums and dads and their families.
By now we all will have heard how GATS is about helping to cure aids and getting medicines to people who do not have them. Minister Vaile said so.
(This is the same people talking that have prevented, by sanctions, essential medicines getting to Iraqi children over the past 10 years, resulting in reported 600,000 dead Iraqi children). The official statement made by Minister Vaile to the Wednesday 13, televised Canberra Press Club (which raised no questions) indicates the depths officials will stoop to deceive us. GATS has made no effort to do with these two problems over the eight years drive to lock the world into GATS. Is this not a low and treacherous Minister prepared to do what ever it takes, including deceit and the use of police and horses to trample you when you object to his plans?
Has the penny dropped yet? Did you not see the WTO meet in Sydney to discuss measures to be taken to reduce Australia to below third economic world status? If this was not the intention of the meeting and it was about things with which the we would agree why then was the meeting not broadcast on loud speakers to the crowd of demonstrators and in fact on TV to all of us?
What is the government doing that it needs to hide from the people, needs to lie about, and needs to trample people into the ground to prevent us from hearing about?
GATS was signed in 1994 with a 10 year implementation period ending in December 2003. Here we are in 2002 and GATS remains a totally “secret from the people” process.
If it was not for a few individuals we would know nothing about the GATS plan, or the drive to “globalisation” and a one world slave state.
GET-out-of-GATS requires:
1. One person in every Federal electorate writing two letters, one to the local Federal member and one to the local Senator requesting an appointment for a day between 1st and 14th of February 2003, to discuss GATS. The date timing of the meeting is important. We need to start setting up these meetings NOW.
2. Once the meeting dates are fixed in writing the local newspaper should be notified of the meeting and the topic and whatever coverage can be obtained got. It is important in whatever coverage is obtained, that the electorate be informed of the meeting and that they are welcome to participate as an observer or to question the member about GATS.
3. To use whatever media coverage can be secured to promote the meeting and the GATS issue. A Press Release sent to local radio and TV stations, in addition to the local paper, followed up by ringing into talkback radio, will all help to alert the electorate to the meeting and the GATS issue. Keep in mind that most people are totally unaware of GATS and the damage it will do. They will only be made aware by your effort in this GET-out-of-GATS campaign. If the electorate is unaware then we will lose the GATS battle.
4. An electorate based GET-out-of-GATS committee may be set up to manage the local campaign; management is about getting the message out to everybody within the electorate, getting them involved. This will only happen when the popular media are covering the issue in an honest way. This then requires a number of people, watching and listening to what is being said and reacting accordingly.
5. Remember this is our last chance and the only possible way to GET-out-of-GATS, is via an informed electorate making our position clear to the elected representatives across Australia. It needs to be made perfectly clear to them that they will lose massive numbers of votes at the next election, because this is the only language they understand.
The campaign is designed to get the whole of Australia alerted to the secrecy and deception surrounding GATS, together with alerting the local member to your concerns. Most members of parliament know no more than the electorate, which is nil, and what they do know is based on the lies circulated by the Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile and the popular media’s refusal to investigate and publish the truth.
Set up a meeting, use the meeting to alert the electorate about GATS, do it in every electorate across Australia, and with every Senator;- and GATS is dead in the water by the 14 February, simply because it can not stand the light of day. This is the reason for the total secrecy.
Why the first two weeks of February? Parliament resumes sitting after the Christmas break, mid-February. The next and most decisive GATS meeting is set down for March. The first two weeks of February provides the best time for us, the Australian people, to deliver a fatal blow to GATS.
Attached please find two fliers for use in the GET-out-of-GATS campaign.
Please keep me informed of your electorate, of your setting up of the two meetings and of the written confirmation of this. Please also send contact phone numbers so as I may direct support from within your electorate on to you.
We will make a list of important questions on GATS available with relevant information closer to the February date.
A simple responsible campaign, designed to alert Australians through your effort, starting with the establishment (in writing) of two separate meetings, one with the local Federal member and the other with the local Senator, using the meetings to get media coverage. Their involvement will alert the population and we are on our way to save Australia from the monster GATS ant its parents Globalisation and the New World Order.
Your freedom from a world without democratic ideals is in your hands. Either you have a say in how we are governed or you don’t. Under GATS and Globalisation you have no say. If you refuse to act now you will be responsible for the loss of your own freedom and that of future generations, can you afford to carry this load?
The action required is simple and acceptable to everybody. It is up to you. Do not leave it to the other bloke,- that elusive “they”,- “why don’t “they” do something”. It is now your turn, you may be the only one in your electorate that receives this notice. By all means get as much help as you can but do something, write two letters, get the ball rolling. Copy this notice ASAP and send it on to friends and contacts across Australia.
Joe Bryant, for United People Power. PO Box 270 St Marys NSW 2760. PH: 02-9826-1337. Fax 02-9826-1670. Email: succeed@tsn.cc
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3) US-AUSTRALIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (from AFTINET bulletin 48)
a) Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement: Call for Submissions by Jan 15
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Office of Trade Negotiations has called for public submissions on the proposed Free Trade agreement (FTA) between Australia and the United States.
The proposed FTA has met with widespread criticism from community groups including AFTINET (ED: and WTO Watch Qld and the Alliance to Expose GATS) because of the unequal bargaining situation for Australia: in economic terms: we are a mouse bargaining with an elephant. The US has targeted important Australian social policies as barriers to trade. The US wants abolition of the Foreign Investment Review Board, an end to Australian content rules in film and television, the abolition of the pharmaceutical benefits scheme and reductions in quarantine standards. The National Farmers' Federation has criticised this agenda and said that they are doubtful that any gains would be made in access to US agricultural markets. All the Opposition Parties, including the Australian Labor Party, have also been strongly critical of the proposed agreement. Commentators have also made the point that, while trade and security issues have traditionally not been officially linked, the US government is linking the FTA with the US security alliance.
Please consider doing a short submission if you can. Below is a summary of some of the issues to assist with submissions, and an article which has some useful quotes.
The deadline for receiving submissions is 15 January 2003. A background paper on the Australia-United States FTA proposal, including information on issues that might be covered in an agreement, and studies on the benefits and implications of an Australia-US FTA, is available via DFAT's website at: www.dfat.gov.au/tr de/negotiations/us.html
Submission enquiries: Ph: (02) 6261 2019/ 1811 Fax: (02) 6261 3514
Submissions may be lodged electronically at us.fta@dfat.gov.au or by post at the following address:
US FTA Task Force
Office of Trade Negotiations
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
BARTON ACT 0221
b) Points for Submissions
Such a bilateral trade negotiation places Australia in a very weak bargaining position given the relative sizes of the US and Australian economies. Australian negotiators want greater access to the massive U.S economy, which is Australia’s second largest market after Japan, in return for entry for U.S goods to Australia's comparatively tiny market of 19 million people, the 15th largest destination for U.S. exports. The US has little need for such an agreement, Australia would have to make concessions
The National Farmers’ Federation has expressed doubt about Australia’s bargaining position in such a bilateral negotiation and is sceptical that the US government would concede access to US agricultural markets .
The US list of "barriers to trade" include the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Australia’s local content rules in film and television, our quarantine law and the Foreign Investment Review Board. Such vital social policies should not be traded away.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme makes medicines more affordable to most Australians. It should not be targeted as a trade barrier.
The local content rules are a vital pillar of Australia’s cultural identity which ensures that Australian stories are told on film and television. These rules ensure a local skills base which enables quality films and television programs to be made here.
Australia has relatively high quarantine standards because as an island country we are disease-free in some areas, and the impact of such diseases would be devastating. We should not compromise these standards.
Australia has specific investment restrictions through legislation in only a few strategic industries like the media, telecommunications and airlines. The Foreign Investment Review Board is the only general restriction, and its discretion is very seldom exercised. If these few remaining restrictions were to be weakened, all of these industries would be vulnerable to US takeover.
All of these trade-offs would be unacceptable in terms of Australian culture, health and safety, public interest and economic independence.
The Minister for Trade has said that Australia does not want to rule out any of these areas in the negotiations (Sydney Monrning Herald 15/11/02)
While trade and security issues have traditionally not been officially linked, both the US government and commentators are linking the FTA with the US security alliance. This is a serious mistake and could be detrimental to Australia's independence in both foreign policy and trade policy.
c) All the way with USA on trade
By Tom Allard and John Garnaut Sydney Morning Herald 15 November 2002
Australia is willing to consider United States demands for unfettered investment access and relaxed labelling for genetically modified food in exchange for opening new markets for Australian farmers under a free trade deal.
The Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile, said yesterday there were no areas off-limits as the US President, George Bush, notified Congress of a start to negotiations on a free trade agreement.
In an eight-page letter to Congress from Mr Bush's trade representative, Bob Zoellick, the Administration listed a range of demands for the FTA that will anger farm, industry and lobby groups in Australia.
They include an end to Australian Government screening of US investment proposals, a relaxation of quarantine laws and changes to Australia's "single desk" grain marketing bodies.
"Technical barriers" to trade like GM food labelling and greater access to Australian markets for US telecommunications, airlines and banking services are also in the sights of the US.
Despite claims from both nations that the trade talks had nothing to do with Australia's strong support of US military and security strategy, Congress was told a trade deal with Australia would "strengthen the foundation of our security alliance".
The US call for unfettered investment access has implications for the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, which it has argued restricts investment by keeping prices low. Labor attacked the Government's apparent willingness to consider changes to the PBS, which was "one of the cornerstones of Medicare and a guarantee for every Australian that essential medicines will be available and affordable".
The ambit claim of investment access may also undermine the Government's promise to keep Telstra and Qantas in majority Australian ownership.
Relaxing Australia's local content rules for television and radio could also be of interest to the US.
Asked if Australia had nominated any no-go areas, Mr Vaile said: "We can't do that. We want to move ahead and we don't want to talk about things negatively or rule anything out. There may be no-go areas that emerge but we want to go into this with everything on the table."
The Government wants to pursue the FTA with the US because it will increase Australia's links to the world's biggest economy and, according to its modelling, eventually be worth $4 billion a year if completed successfully. The key to an economic boost is substantial gains in access to the US for Australian farmers, who are generally much more price competitive.
Mr Zoellick, who briefed federal cabinet in Canberra yesterday on the US approach to a free trade deal, heartened the Government when he said the US wanted an FTA "as absolutely broad as possible, and that includes agriculture, manufacturing, services".
The Prime Minister, John Howard, told Parliament: "This is, by any measure, an historical development in the bilateral relationship; it is unambiguously good news for Australia." He acknowledged that negotiations would be difficult, and a successful conclusion was by no means assured, especially as politically powerful US farm groups had expressed reluctance about a deal.
To placate its farmers, the US has demanded changes to quarantine and Australia's single-desk marketing bodies for key grains commodities - to the ire of Australian farmers. The National Farmers Federation's trade expert, Lyall Howard, said: "We're not going to let products in that have diseases. They find that frustrating, because they've got diseases we don't want. We're not watering down our standards for anyone."
A Melbourne University trade expert, Ann Capling, said she was shocked at the link made between of security and trade. "It's been a cornerstone of both Australian and US foreign policy since World War II that security and trade issues are kept in separate boxes. To see them linked now has major implications for the Australia-US security alliance."
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Terrie Templeton WTO Watch Qld gumbus@powerup.com.au