16 April 2004

Contents:

1. Lobby groups gather to dispute the FTA
2. Report accuses Australia & NZ of bullying Pacific Islands
3. USFTA: Senate Committee submissions due 30 April
4. USFTA events (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Dubbo)
5. Brisbane Social Forum 7 to 9 May

1. Lobby groups gather to dispute the FTA

Author: Lisa Allen, with Allesandra Fabro
Date: 14 April 2004
Australian Financial Review, page 6

Doctors, drug lobbyists and consumer groups are warring over the shape of the free trade agreement with the US as the first round of public hearings into the controversial deal begins next Monday.

The drug lobby says the FTA will bring millions of dollars of investment into Australia through drug research and provide earlier access to medicines for patients.

However, the powerful peak doctor group, the Australian Medical Association, is worried that the independence of the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, which decides what drugs will be subsidised by the taxpayer, could be under threat.

Submissions to the bipartisan Joint Standing Committee on Treaties which will recommend to federal parliament whether the FTA should enter into force later this year closed last night.

The AMA, which has been given an extension to lodge a submission, is expected to express strong concern over the role and power of a new inter-governmental medicines group made up of American and Australian health bureaucrats.

There are fears that the new FTA procedures will give drug companies, patients, politicians and the media greater power to pressure the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, which recommends to the Health Minister if drugs should be subsidised.

The Australian Consumer Association is also concerned the independence of the $6 billion PBS is under threat. "We think the PBS is working well for consumers in terms of delivering affordable access to medication," ACA spokeswoman Nicola Ballenden said yesterday. "We don't see any benefits to changing the system in some of the directions raised by the government."

The chairman of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Andrew Southcott, MP , said yesterday that the committee would flesh out the detail on the PBS review mechanism.

The ACA is also concerned about proposed copyright changes mandated by the FTA, fearing that the "draconian" US copyright system will be imported locally without the balancing effect of America's free-speech rights. "They are essentially importing the draconian US system and grafting it unhappily onto our different copyright tradition," ACA spokesman Charles Britton said.

Although submissions closed yesterday, many groups have yet to lodge a response. The Business Council of Australia, the Cattle Council and the Minerals Council have all received additional time to complete their submissions.

Updated costings on the deal, being prepared by the Centre for International Economics, were also due to be handed to the government yesterday. Dr Southcott expects a late rush of submissions to the committee, which is expected to table a report by June 23 for debate in the budget session of parliament.

Medicines Australia, which represents Australia's big drug companies, declined to comment yesterday.

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2. Report accuses Australia and NZ of bullying Pacific Islands

5 April 2004
Media release, Pacific Network on Globalisation

A report that is highly critical of Australia and New Zealand’s behaviour towards the Pacific Islands, Big Brothers Behaving Badly: The Implications of the PACER Agreement for the Pacific Islands, prepared by Auckland University Law Professor Jane Kelsey for the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG), was released today.

Copies are being presented to Trade Ministers from 14 Pacific Island countries who are in Papua New Guinea for talks on a proposed Regional Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union. Australia and New Zealand’s Trade Ministers will join them for a Forum meeting on Thursday.

The report draws on official documents and extensive interviews with politicians, officials and consultants involved in negotiating the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER). This is a story of how Australia and New Zealand bullied the Pacific Islands into an agreement they did not want and the problems that has created, Professor Kelsey said.

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3. USFTA: Senate Committee submissions due 30 April

Thanks to all who made submissions to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties on the USFTA. The Senate Select Committee is taking submissions until Friday, 30 April 2004, and you can use the AFTINET draft submission circulated earlier as the basis for your own submission.

Terms of reference:

The Committee shall examine impacts of the agreement on Australia’s economic, trade, investment and social and environment policies, including, but not limited to, agriculture, health, education and the media.

Submissions should be sent by email to FTA@aph.gov.au or by mail to:

The Senate Select Committee on the USFTA, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600

Contact: Mr Brenton Holmes (02) 6277 3527 or Ms Tanya Stacpoole (02) 6277 3163
Fax:  (02) 6277 3830

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4. USFTA events

Sydney

(i) Protest, 19 April during Joint Standing Committee on Treaties hearings

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle’s office is organising a protest about the USFTA, which will be held when the Joint Committee on Treaties begins its hearings on the agreement in Sydney.

When: April 19, 2004 from 12 noon to 1pm
Where: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney

(ii) Rally, 4 May 12.30 pm Angel Place, 123 Pitt Street

AFTINET will hold a rally on 4 May during the lunchtime break of the Senate Committee inquiry on the USFTA. Details of speakers will be provided in further bulletins.

When: 4 May, 12.30 pm
Where: Angel Place, 123 Pitt Street, Sydney

Melbourne

(i) USFTA Public Meeting 21 April
Melbourne Town Hall 7:30pm

Speakers include:

• Alan Fletcher (Actor, Neighbours)
• Sharan Burrown, (President, Australian Council of Trade Unions)
• Julius Roe (Australian Manufacturing Workers Union)
• Marc Purcell (Catholic Commission for Justice, Development & Peace Melbourne)

Endorsed by:

Public First, Trades Hall, AMWU, Friends of the Earth, Australian Conservation Foundation, MUA, Media Entertainment Arts Alliance, and Liberty Victoria.

(ii) Public action 7 June, 11.30 am

Friends of the Earth Melbourne is organising an action to coincide with the Senate Select Committee public hearing on the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States. We are urging people to attend this action/demonstration. The aim is to elicit media coverage and community education about the problems with the FTA, in particular the role that nation states play in using free trade agreements to further the power of transnational corporations to control communities and ecosystems in the name of corporate-led globalisation.

The action will involve a symbolic marriage of John Howard with several corporations that have lobbied hard in favour of the FTA. It will include a range of creative and fun elements, and we need people to perform a variety of roles.

Date: 7th June 2004
Time: 11.30am
Venue: To be confirmed

Please contact Rodney Vlais or Liz Turner for further details or on how you can become involved, on (03) 9419 8700, or rodney@foe.org.au

Perth

(i) 17 April 10am: AUSFTA Letter writing workshop, Gaia House, 35 Camberwell St, Victoria Park.

(ii) Public Action 23 April 9 am, Parliament House

The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) public hearing for the inquiry into the Australia USFTA will be held on Friday the 23rd of April 2004 at the WA Legislative Assembly’s Committee Room # 2, WA Parliament House.

The Globalisation Roundtable Secretariat would like to extend a very warm invitation for you to join us, dressed in red and/or black (with horns adorned) at 9am on the 23rd of April on the steps of Parliament House, as we expose the "devils in the detail" of the USFTA.

Add your voice to the devilish dissent! Bring friends, colleagues, workmates and family!

More info: Bridget Blackford @ Dee Margetts office – 9322 1384

(iii) Placard workshop 22 April, 2pm

1074 Hay Street, West Perth. Please bring your own card, paints, brushes, calico etc -(and some nibblies and drinks to share too).

(iv) Health Consumers Council Forum on AUSFTA

9am-1pm, 5th of May, Grace Vaughn House, 227 Stubbs Tce, Shenton Park. 9221 3422 or hconc@iinet.net.au

Dubbo

USFTA Forum

With Guest Speakers:

Stephen Deady, Special Negotiator – Office of Trade Negotiations, Dept of Foreign Affairs & Trade
Louise Southalan, Policy Officer, AFTINET

The Dubbo City Development Corporation Ltd and the NSW Women in Agriculture will be hosting an AUSFTA Public Forum Thursday 22^nd April 2004 to provide Dubbo and the surrounding region another opportunity to learn more about the AUSFTA debate.

Date: Thursday 22nd April 2004
Time: Commencing at 2:00 pm
Venue:      Dubbo RSL Club Resort, Jacaranda Room

You will need to register your interest by contacting the DCDC Office.

Please RSVP by Tuesday, 20^th April 2004
Dubbo City Development Corporation
Telephone: 02 6884 7400 Fax 02 6884 7399 Email: dcdc@dubbo.com.au

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5. Brisbane Social Forum 7-9 May

Searching for democracy: Brisbane Social Forum 2004
University of Queensland Student Union Complex, 7-9 May

An open space of ideas, workshops and performance & peace, social justice, globalisation and sustainability. This year the issue of democracy will form an ideas umbrella over the Brisbane Social Forum. Why is it that despite millions marching in the streets to stop war, our governments proceeded? Why are our current democratic institutions so unresponsive to popular will on almost every issue that concerns us?

For more information, phone Alison on 0407 150 728 or Kate on 0439 844 880 or go to www.brisbanesocialforum.org You can also email bsf2004@brisbanesocialforum.org