Tony Abbott has warned against “short-term, xenophobic politics” obstructing the trans Pacific partnership (TPP) negotiations which are expected to reach an agreement in days.



The prime minister is staring down opposition complaints about secrecy and “investor-state dispute settlement” (ISDS) provisions but is also facing internal pressure. Nationals MPs have banded together to speak out about the TPP’s impact on the local sugar industry.

The trade minister, Andrew Robb, has conceded sugar, dairy and biologic patents remain the sticking points in negotiations as he attends the latest meetings in Hawaii, and five National MPs have released a joint statement saying they will not support the TPP if it does not have adequate provisions for the sugar industry.

In pointed comments at the BOAO financial services forum on Thursday, Abbott said the talks were in “their final, critical stage”.

He spoke about the recent China-Australia free trade agreement and the FTAs with South Korea, Singapore, Chile, Thailand and ASEAN, before moving on to the TPP.

FTA critics had “forgotten their history”.

“These free trade agreements are too important for our country; they’re too important for our businesses and too important for our children to be sacrificed at the altar of short-term, xenophobic politics,” he said.

“So, I hope that our opponents will end their flirtation with the ideas and the fears of the past.”

Labor recently passed a motion to to remove ISDS clauses from existing trade agreements and Abbott mentioned the support of previous Labor prime ministers for FTAs, as well as John Howard.

“Freer trade is an essential part of any credible plan to build a strong, prosperous economy for a safe, secure Australia,” he said.

“Freer trade will strengthen and deepen the relationship between Australia and the nations of our region. Australia has nothing to fear and everything to gain from freer trade. We gain and the world gains as well ...

“Australia can give the countries of our region the resource security, the food security and the energy security that we all seek for the future. We are in the right place at the right time with the right spirit, and as far as I am concerned we must and we will seize this moment.”

Nationals MPs George Christensen, Matt Canavan, Michelle Landry, Keith Pitt and Ken O’Dowd released a joint statement the morning of the speech headlined “No sugar, no deal”.

The MPs are campaigning for Australia’s sugar industry to be given more international market access, and specifically mentioned the FTA with the US and China giving no significant quota to Australia sugar.

“If they [the US] take the TPP seriously, they will offer a serious increase to Australia’s quota,” the statement says.



“We are calling on the Australian government’s key negotiators to fight for the Australian sugar industry alongside officials from rural lobby groups representing cane-growers and millers, who have travelled to Hawaii this week to participate in the latest round of TPP discussions.

“If the Australian sugar industry does not receive a substantial improvement in market access under the TPP, we cannot support a deal. We could not in good conscience give support to enabling legislation for the TPP if it ignores one of the most important industries in our state.”

The agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, has not responded for requests for comment on the TPP.

The TPP involves countries that make up 40% of the world’s global economy: the US, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. At its completion, the TPP will cover trade, intellectual-property rights and financial regulations.