I spoke about 3 “free trade” agreements that the Liberal, National and Labor party have voted together to approve.
Globalists united!
While there is some fantastic news for farmers, the Indonesian agreement is a stinker.
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My first comment, Mr President is to criticise this Government for bundling 3 free trade agreements into the one piece of legislation. It is no wonder that we are being forced to vote for or against these agreements as some bizarre “job lot”, because the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is a stinker.
The dishonesty from this government extends beyond bundling the agreements. It extends to the lies this Government is telling about the agreements.
Let me talk about ISDS – Investor State Dispute Settlement provisions in all 3 of these agreements before us today.
These clauses allow private companies to sue the Australian Government if our actions cost them money.
Let me give you some examples.
When President Putin came to power he took on the corrupt Oligarchs that exploited the end of communism to steal everything worth stealing, and then pay no taxes on all this wealth. Putin cleaned up the oligarchs and many fled overseas. From there they used ISDS provisions to sue Putin for acting in Russia’s best interests, and for making them pay their fair share of tax. And they won Mr President.
Now I know why Prime Minister Morrison loves ISDS provisions so much. Large corporates paying their fair share of tax, Mr President, not on the Prime Minister’s watch!
Renco Group Inc., a company owned by one of the richest men in America, invested in a metal smelter Peru which is one of the 10 most polluted mining sites in the world. Peru took Renco to their local court to force Renco to install sulphur filters to make the air in neighbouring villages breathable.
A local Court found in the villagers favour, but then Renco moved the case to an ISDS panel and won.
This is One Nation’s objections to ISDS provisions. It takes justice away from everyday Australians and moves it into international Courts where even a small case costs in the tens of millions.
In these courts there is no national interest, there is no thoughts of common law protections of our inaliable human rights, no consideration of basic principles of justice.
National interest is subverted to corporate profits and to hell with the consequences for everyday citizens.
Could this heartless liberal nationals government be summed up any better than that.
Let me turn to labour market provisions. This agreement allows Indonesia to supply 4100 new temporary visa holders into the Australian market, rising to 5000 annually by 2024.
In addition, this agreement requires Australia to send trainers to Indonesia to skill their labour force up to Australian standards, so even more can come over.
We are not asking if they are going to take jobs from everyday Australians.
We are not asking what effect this will have on the lives, businesses and wages of tradies and construction workers in particular.
Mr President there are currently 1.4 million of these temporary work visa holders in Australia. Every new trade agreement brings more.
Co-incidentally there are also 1.4 million Australians who are unemployed or underemployed.
Yet all we hear from the Government, and oddly today, from the ALP, is that this immigration leads to more jobs.
If more of these workers leads to jobs growth Mr President when is that going to happen?
When are our 1.4 million unemployed and underemployed going to benefit from all these corporate trade agreements?
The answer Mr President is that it will not. These agreements exist to bring in large numbers of foreign workers, to drive down wages and maximise corporate profits.
Australian is used to that from the Liberal National Party.
My question, Mr President, is why is the Australian Labor Party voting for this stinker?
Aren’t you supposed to be the party of labour?
Aren’t you supposed to protect Australian workers?
Apparently not.
There is one aspect of these agreements that One Nation does support.
This is the expansion of Australia’s farm exports.
A half a million tonnes of grain to Indonesia along with a 1300% increase in cattle exports by 2050. Dairy gets another $6 million in exports. Carrot and potato tariffs are eliminated.
The Peru agreement will eliminate a 17 per cent tariff on beer, a 9 per cent tariff on wine and will allow market access for Australian sugar, dairy, beef, lamb, cereals and nuts.
In a time of drought these targets may be at best theoretical, but this drought will not last forever. It will rain again and when it does, these additional markets will be critical to getting our farmers back on their feet.
Our struggling manufacturing sector will benefit from another 250,000 tonnes of steel to Indonesia, and from market access to Peru for our pharmaceutical and minerals markets.
Ultimately, the absolute necessity of keeping our economy out of recession by developing these new markets has decided our vote on this matter.
