Greens Acting Leader, Adam Bandt MP, will move to amend laws designed to implement the controversial Indonesian, Peru and Hong Kong free trade agreements currently before the House of Representatives.
His amendments will seek to delay the implementation of the agreements until guarantees on local jobs and protections from corporations being able to sue governments are included, and until the human rights situation in Hong Kong is resolved.
Many Labor members and unions are up in arms about the agreements.
Greens Acting Leader Adam Bandt MP said:
“Liberal and Labor have done a dirty deal to fast-track laws that will give corporations more rights than governments or workers.
“These dodgy deals allow corporations to boost their profits by suing governments who do things like lift the minimum wage or pass laws to protect the environment.
“Labor’s ‘big win’ appears to be an unenforceable side-letter from the Liberals that existing loopholes will continue to apply.
“The Greens stand with the workers and civil society groups who want these agreements rewritten so that basic rights are protected.
“We will move amendments to the bills to ensure jobs are advertised locally, corporations can’t sue our government and the Hong Kong deal is delayed while the conflict there continues.”
