With the negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), completed, consumer group Choice has urged the Federal Government to make all details publicly available as soon as possible and for the Productivity Commission to conduct a full cost-benefit analysis of the agreement.
“At about midnight last night, Trade Ministers confirmed that the TPP negotiations were finished, however, the text of the agreement still won’t be publicly available for a number of weeks,” says Choice Campaigns Manager Erin Turner.
More than 7,400 Australians signed a petition calling for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to release the text of the TPP.
“The agreement has the potential to impact every aspect of the Australian economy. It’s too big to ignore the fine print which is why we need a dull and transparent assessment of its impact before its impact.”
TPP has described the transformation as a modern agreement that will deliver huge benefits to citizens of nations involved.
“Now the agreement has been signed in the dark, all Australians will be waiting nervously to see what the government has traded away,” Ms. Turner says.
“Choice urges the Government to commit to a full cost-benefit analysis of the TPP before Australia signs on to complex new rules, governing everything from financial regulations to copyright provisions,” says Ms. Turner.