<
https://theconversation.com/theres-a-lot-we-dont-know-about-the-uk-trade-agreement-we-are-about-to-sign-162841>
"We’re being told about the new Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement,
but not a lot about most of what’s in it.
After an in-principle agreement overnight, Australia released a five-page
summary.
Australian farmers will benefit from tariff-free access to the UK for limited
amounts of Australian beef, lamb, sugar and dairy products to the UK (but will
have to wait ten years for the full elimination of tariffs). Australian
consumers will benefit from immediate zero tariffs on products like UK whiskey
and cars. Longer working holiday visas may be available for citizens from both
countries.
It will take at least a month for the deal to be finalised and signed, and only
after the signing will the Australian public see the full text and a
parliamentary committee be given the right to inquire into it but not change
it."
This is a longstanding problem in Australia, where successive governments have
always insisted that trade agreements must be secret until after they have been
signed, at which point they cannot be changed in any way, This ensures that
there can never be any debate about the terms and whatever it is the public is
being forced to accept.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
