Posted by Michael Wonder on 05 Aug 2015
Health experts worried as Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations conclude
Eight health and community organisations have written to the Trade Minister Andrew Robb expressing "grave concerns" about the latest leaked draft of the nearly concluded Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
The draft of the investment chapter published by Wikileaks last week outlines the controversial investor‐state dispute settlement mechanism which would allow foreign corporations to sue governments in offshore tribunals.
It includes a footnote proposing to exempt Australia from the mechanism in accordance with the position of the previous Labor government followed by a note saying that the deletion of the footnote is "subject to certain conditions". A separate annex to the draft says Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Medicare Benefits Scheme, Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Office of the Gene Technology would not be subject to the mechanism.
"While we agree that these programs should definitely not be subject to investor‐state dispute settlement clauses, we are concerned that the inclusion of this annex indicates that the Australian government may not have confidence in the 'safeguards' in the investment chapter," the letter says. "We are very concerned about the implications for other public health policies and programs which are not named as specific exclusions."
