Transpacific Partnership concerns a scare campaign, Trade Minister Andrew Robb says

Updated

The Federal Trade Minister has labelled concerns over a regional free trade agreement known as the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) a "scare campaign".

Negotiators from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) have just concluded a week of talks in Hawaii, and Trade Minister Andrew Robb said the TPP could be signed in the next month.

The 12-country deal includes Australia, the United States, New Zealand and Malaysia and takes up 40 per cent of the world economy.

In an interview with the ABC, Mr Robb promised he would not sign anything that would harm Australia's health system.

"Why would I? Why would I go and tear up the system?" he said.

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"My view is most of the scare campaign, and that's what it is, it's pre-meditated ... it's designed to frighten people about any sort of trade agreement."

Medical, business and consumer groups have raised concerns about the negotiations on the TPP being conducted in secret.

Very little is known about what the deal contains, but an excerpt published by WikiLeaks last year revealed pharmaceutical companies are pushing for some medical patents to be extended.

That would mean it would take longer for cheaper, generic medicines to become available.

Mr Robb said he opposed any extension to medical patents but could not rule it out.

"As soon as I rule one thing in or out then we get into — there's thousands of decisions to be taken," he said.

So all I'm saying is I see absolutely no reason, and we oppose it, and I'm not seeing pressure in the negotiations for an increase."

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) welcomed those assurances, but said until it saw the detail of the deal it remained concerned.

"We wouldn't be doing our job as custodians of Australian health if we weren't asking these legitimate questions so I would hope that Minister Robb continues to take these concerns on board," AMA vice president Dr Stephen Parnis said.

"We have no doubt that pharmaceutical companies will be pressuring very hard."

Foreign corporations could sue governments

Another contentious part of the TPP is the inclusion of investor state dispute settlements (ISDS) that allow foreign corporations to sue governments if legislation affects the company's profitability.

An ISDS allowed cigarette company Phillip Morris to take the Australian Government to court in Hong Kong over the tobacco plain packaging laws.

We could have a big food company from China say in the future because you changed your food labelling laws, you've affected our profits. Alan Kirkland, Choice CEO

Mr Robb said he had not made a decision yet on whether to support the inclusion of an ISDS in the TPP.

"We've laid down the conditions under which we would even consider it, and if other countries won't meet those conditions we won't agree to it," he said.

"We want provisions that mean that governments can take public health policy decisions or environmental decisions and not be subject to the ISDS, now that's pretty straightforward."

Consumer group Choice and Australian food manufacturing company Dick Smith said the inclusion of an ISDS in the TPP could see the Australian Government sued over planned changes to food labelling laws.

"We could have a big food company from China say in the future because you changed your food labelling laws, you've affected our profits," Choice chief executive Alan Kirkland said.

A business group, Australian Industry (AI) Group, is also concerned that once the deal is signed it cannot be amended.

The AI Group has lobbied the Government to have greater access to the negotiations.

"Business should be at the table," AI Group chief executive Innes Wilcox said.

"There's a lot at stake here."

Mr Robb maintains the Government has held 1,000 consultations with groups including Choice, the AI Group and unions.

Topics: trade, government-and-politics, federal-government, business-economics-and-finance, australia, asia

First posted