Australian Government - Trade Review a mixed bag but has some welcome policy changes says fair trade group

Four important policy changes-

• the government will not support trade agreement provisions which will restrict the ability of Australian governments to legislate on social, health and environmental issues
• the government will not support increases in corporate intellectual property rights which would make medicines more expensive, and undermine the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.  
• improvement in transparency in trade negotiations. In the past, trade agreements were ratified by Cabinet and only later examined by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties. This policy has changed to enable consideration of trade agreements by the Joint Committee before ratification by Cabinet,
• the government has given qualified support to the inclusion of labour and environmental provisions in trade agreements

Full story at  http://www.asu.asn.au/media/international/20110412_trade.html

Down load AFTINET statement at 
http://aftinet.org.au/cms/sites/default/files/Final%20longer%20response%20to%20trade%20revew%20180411.pdf