I’m scared, Prime Minister. And this is one terror my fridge magnet won’t save me from.
I thought that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was supposed to open up new opportunities for our producers and manufacturers, not create hurdles for them to jump over.
This agreement does nothing much at all for us here in Australia. To start with, the parties involved can’t even sell the same spin. In the US, they are spruiking about the doors that have been opened. For example, while our beef farmers have to wait 18 years before free trade in the US is available to them, the US are stating that, “ food inspection procedures that have posed a barrier…will be addressed.” Last November, the PM stated, “if we can’t get something quite big on agriculture then we won’t have a free trade agreement.” The only thing that seems to have increased for us is the amount of imported US produce.
Whilst thinking about increases, the profits of the US pharmaceutical companies are going to grow exponentially with the ratifying of the FTA. These drug giants will have the capability to impose their demands on what drugs are going to be available for subsidies. And naturally, those selected will be the more expensive lines, though not necessarily the most therapeutic.
The contrary arguments continue when you look into the media content part of the agreement. The Australian government argued that they would protect Australian content and would insist on the ability to regulate that content. The US says, the FTA contains important and unprecedented provisions to improve market access…over a variety of media.”
It is curious that one day we have the ability to regulate the content of what we see, hear and read and the next day, we don’t. Why are we giving away something for nothing?
But, it gets worse. Ever dreamed of sending your child to the US to further their education? With the ratifying of the FTA, you won’t have to bother about the airfare. Under the agreement, we could be seeing campuses of American universities popping up here. Whilst on the surface this may sound like an important addition to our education system, there is a catch. Those universities will be able to seek funding from the Australian government, dip into our talent pool of lecturers and compete for student numbers.
Finally, if you’re rushing to the telephone to call your local member of parliament, better hurry. The agreement includes a pledge from us to them that Telstra will be privatised.
It appears that the US went to the table with a list of demands while Australia went to the table with a list of what we have to give away.