Say NO to FTA!

The Howard Government's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US 
is a manifesto for the takeover of Australia's economic, cultural 
and political life by American transnational corporations. These 
corporations will have unprecedented access to invest in 
Australia, to move capital and goods in and out of Australia, 
manipulate the Australian dollar, and incredible powers to 
intervene in the process of government and the making of laws and 
regulations. Jobs and workers' rights will under the hammer.

Trade union rights threatened

* Strikes and other industrial action affecting US investments or 
trade with Australia considered a barrier to trade with US will 
be banned.

* Actions against corporations on basis of their activities in 
other countries (e.g. against Nike, Rio Tinto) will be banned.

* Cabotage (requirement for Australian ships on coastal routes) 
will be outlawed.

* Government will face fines of up to $15 million if it fails to 
enforce labour laws (state or federal) that protect the 
operations of US corporations.

Medicine prices will rise

* Prices will move towards US levels making many medicines 
unaffordable.

* US pharmaceutical corporations will have greater influence on 
functioning of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, weakening the 
capacity of PBS to control prices.

* Exclusive patent rights extended to 20 years, delaying 
introduction of cheaper generic products and pushing prices up.

* Beginning of direct advertising by pharmaceutical companies to 
the public — on the net.

Open slather on uranium

* Australia would lose the right to restrict exports of products 
to US such as uranium.

Health care standards threatened

* Patient care could be undermined with easing of requirements 
for qualifications, licensing and standards so they become "not 
more burdensome than necessary to ensure the quality of the 
service".

Hands environment over to markets

* Promotes "flexible, voluntary and market-based mechanisms" as 
means of protecting the environment.

* Locks Australia in with US at international forums.

* Makes no commitment to international law regarding the 
environment.

* But does allow Australia an US to "retain the right to 
establish their own domestic environmental  standards".

* US given the right to question laws governing water supply and 
quality, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, fisheries, 
release of GM organisms, etc.

Media

* The deal gives Australia a guarantee of only four percent of 
domestic product on pay TV — opening the gates even further to 
US content.

* It removes restrictions on US takeover of new and emerging 
technology.

* Locks in current inadequate rules for local content on free-to-
air TV.

* More jobs will be lost in the industry.

Affects almost all public services

* US corporations will have same rights as Australian companies 
and governments to provide public services such as water, 
electricity, gas, education, health, post, telecommunications and 
any other activity of government carried out on a commercial 
basis (corporatised) or in competition with other service 
providers.

* The government included the sale of Telstra in a binding side 
letter at the same time as Parliament was debating policy.

Australian farmers get raw end of deal

* Australia drops remaining tariffs immediately on agricultural 
products from US.

* The US will phase out tariffs and quotas over a period of up to 
18 years.

* The US's massive government subsidies remain, giving it an 
unfair advantage over Australian farmers who are not subsidised.

Immediate job losses

* Tariffs on US motor vehicle parts (15%) will be removed 
immediately.

* Provisions favouring local products or US links with local 
firms will be illegal.

* Migrant workers in particular will suffer from resulting job 
losses.

US investors protected

* The emphasis is on protecting US investors' interests.

* "All US investment in new businesses is exempted from 
screening"

* Investments under $800 million in existing businesses (eg 
takeovers or parcels of shares) are exempt from scrutiny, with 
the exception of several key areas such as banking, airlines and 
media.

Acceptance of US regulations

* Australia and the US are required to give "positive 
consideration" to accepting each other's technical regulations as 
equivalent to their own, and to give reasons if they do not.

* There is no requirement to label genetically modified food 
products in the US. Such labelling is deemed to be a "barrier to 
trade".

* Australia is required to give US representatives the same 
rights as Australians to participate in the development of 
Australia's standards and technical regulations.

Government cannot give preference to Australian companies

* US companies to receive treatment no less favourable than that 
given to Australian corporations.

* US corporations to have same rights to government funding as 
Australian ones.

* No requirement to treat Australian companies as well as US 
corporations.

Massive financial penalties

* Actions by federal, state or local governments such as making 
grants conditional on employment of local labour, use of local 
products could result in fines of up to $15 million.

* In addition government could be fined millions of dollars more 
according to the amount of damages caused by its actions.

Government hands powers to US corporations

* Undermines scope for democratic decision making.

* US corporations can through their government challenge changes 
to Australian law and regulations.

* Many of the rights of Australian governments (at all levels) to 
regulate and decide what is in interests of the people and 
economy are handed over to US corporations.

* So-called "independent panels", not internationally or 
nationally recognised courts of law will resolve disputes and 
hand out penalties.

The MAI was stopped, the WTO has been blocked on several 
occasions. We can stop the FTA.