Pacific does not need Pacer-plus trade deal says key NGO
Updated
An Fiji based anti-Globalisation group says the Pacific doesn't need a free trade deal with Australia and New Zealand to gain benefits from the global economy. The Pacific Network on Globalisation says Australia is still pursuing heavy-handed tactics in trade negotiations and wants Pacific Island countries to reject the proposed PACER-plus agreement. The organisation's Co-ordinator Maureen Penjueli made these comments in response to an interview with Australia's Trade Minister, Simon Crean, broadcast on Radio Australia earlier this month.
Presenter Jemima Garrett
Speaker: Co-ordinator of the Suva-based Pacifc Network on Globalisation Maureen Penjueli
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GARRETT: The Pacific Network on globalisation was set up in 2000 by regional NGO's concerned that civil society was being left out of the debate on trade liberalisation. It includes key organisations such as the Pacific Conference of Churces and is a fierce opponent of free trade philosophy. In his interview with Radio Australia, Trade Minister, Simon Crean, said PACER Plus, the proposed free trade aggreeement between Australia and New Zealand and the Pacific Island nations, is as much about aid and capacity building in the Pacific as it is about opening up markets. He strongly believes the Pacific has much to gain from the deal. That's a view rejected by Maureen Penjueli. She says PACER plus will cut revenue to many Pacific governments and lead to business closures and job losses as Pacific companies find it difficult to compete with Australian products.
PENJUELI: We do not need to engage in PACER plus to gain benefits for the global economy. In fact, Pacific Island countries, if they want to increase competition, if they want to seek new investment, if they want to improvement in efficencies they can actually do so quite readily any time of the week, really. ..um do not need to go into a free trade model to see those benefits. In fact there is increasing evidence that states quite clearly that for developing countries they need to relook at this whole push for free trade.
GARRETT: Maureen Penjueli, Co-ordinator of the Suva-based Pacifc Network on Globalisation. Australia's Trade Minister has categorically rejected allegations that Australia uses heavy-handed tactics in trade negotiaions saying that under his leadership there has been a move to consultation and partnership. Ms Penjuelli says she has not seen a change of approach under Mr Crean.
PENJUELI: Some of the key things that demonstate there is a heavy-handedness includes the whole fast-tracking of PACER plus. Now we know that the region has been very clear in terms of PACER-plus, that to begin formal negotiations with the region's laregest partners needs both time and resources for countries to get their positions in order. Australia is really clear that they want to being, or at least launch negotiations this year and that is just totally unacceptable. so that's a demonstation. And I think you can compare this to what we've seen with the EPA negs with the European Commission. There we've seen at least initially a lot of funding coming through and certainly time for the region to prepare for negotiations. We also know that australia has been very critical in terms of what it has been doing behind backdoors meetings and the informals. so they have been very keen to remove the forum secretariat from engaging in that process to the extent that the Trade ministers from the region had to write fromally to Australia to seek their understanding. You know, again, this demonstates this heavy-handedness.
GARRETT: Australia has said it is willing to fund an office of Pacific Trade Advisor, to provide independent advice to Pacific states as they develop their negotiating position, and that move has been welcomed by Ms Penjueli. Trade Minister Crean is hoping to organise an informal Trade Ministers meeting next month, before the scheduled formal meeting, in May. Ms Penjueli says Pacific Trade Ministers need to be ready to defend their interests.
PENJUELI: The key things we are looking for in our Trade ministers is 1) to be very clear to Australia and New Zealand that negotiations cannot be launched and cannot be started in 2009. It is far too early and it would mean we would have very ill-prepare positions going into negotiations with two of our critical partners. That would be the first thing we'd like to see. We'd like to see the Trade Ministers defend the need for substantive space for research, in country and also regionally. The types of research we are looking at are independent social impact assessment because that is one of the key things that falls off Governments radars. They will look at economic impacts but they will not look at social impact assessment and it is very important that Governments get some of these key prerequisites outlined to Simon Crean, whether it's at an informal meeting in April or in May.
