FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS
RATIONALE
The Australian Workers Party believes Australia must oppose free trade deals that do not benefit Australia’s future. To date almost all have left us disadvantaged and the people and our industries have suffered for it.
These deals are being driven by big business, and corporate interests, not national pride, not ensuring self-sufficiency and not the need to secure a prosperous future for all Australians.
These agreements carry impacts that will affect all Australians, and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future in ways that can only be described as Government approved degradation of Australian industries, small businesses and the deliberate abandonment of our workers in preference to foreign interest demands.
Government must return to an Australian people first, foreign profits second mentality if we are to again experience homegrown prosperity and begin rebuilding what has been allowed to fall away because successive Governments have pandered to foreign interests rather than best serve the people here at home.
OUR FREE TRADE PRINCIPLES
The Australian Workers Party demands any Free Trade Agreement ;
These deals are being driven by big business, and corporate interests, not national pride, not ensuring self-sufficiency and not the need to secure a prosperous future for all Australians.
These agreements carry impacts that will affect all Australians, and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future in ways that can only be described as Government approved degradation of Australian industries, small businesses and the deliberate abandonment of our workers in preference to foreign interest demands.
Government must return to an Australian people first, foreign profits second mentality if we are to again experience homegrown prosperity and begin rebuilding what has been allowed to fall away because successive Governments have pandered to foreign interests rather than best serve the people here at home.
OUR FREE TRADE PRINCIPLES
The Australian Workers Party demands any Free Trade Agreement ;
- Should benefit all Australians not a select few.
- Must not result in the loss or weakening of existing Australian industries, future opportunities or employment prospects for Australian citizens.
- Must not permit the formation of closed markets via foreign competition forcing out established industries and businesses in Australia.
- Must retain tariff protections, and trade tariffs must again be strengthened over time to permit and encourage local industry growth and future job creation via new opportunities.
- Shall result in a reduction of foreign imports and increase of Australian exports; Australia must regain self-sufficiency in an uncertain world, and the sale of what we can produce must again become our priority. Currently our GDP is at ridiculous levels, we must increase production and through that Australia's profitability.
- Under any Trade agreements future ownership of infrastructure, land and essentials such as food and water by foreign interests must be halted.
- Must reduce the current lease arrangements for foreign investors. We propose leases to undergo review and renewal every 25 years with strong cancellation and exit clauses should environmental damage, unfair trading or destructive industry practices be inflicted on the Australian people or our Country.
- That any foreign industry established or operating in Australia must employ Australians first, the current permissions and preferences for international workers must be halted.
- Any future trade agreements must include new taxation provisions and terms that prevent aggressive tax minimisation and disallow the transfer of corporate profits before taxes owing here in Australia are paid.
- Any Trade Agreement undertaken must not be permitted to render any Australian worker or citizen, company, Trade Union, Government or Government Authority liable to legal actions for any legitimate loss of corporations profits or productivity.
- There must be no weakening of quarantine laws as has been proposed under Free Trade. Our soils Australian foods we produce are amongst the cleanest and highest quality in the world, so the strongest possible quarantine protections are needed now and into the future.
- Compensation, it has been proposed that any party that owns an interest in another Country shall in the event of profit losses, damage or asset siezure during a conflict be paid compensation for any such loss or damage. This must never be permitted.
