LABOR WELCOMES BEGINNING OF FORMAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EU
Labor welcomes the announcement that the European Union has officially given authorisation to begin negotiating a free trade agreement with Australia.
Labor supports high quality trade deals that are good for Australian jobs, industry and farmers.
The European Union is Australia’s second largest trading partner and largest source of foreign investment in 2017. An agreement should open up new export opportunities for Australian exporters.
As part of these negotiations, Labor calls on Turnbull not to waive labour market testing.
Before a company brings in an electrician or a carpenter or a mechanic from overseas they should first have to go through the basic task of seeing if there is an Australian who can do the job.
This is just common sense. Getting rid of this requirement makes Australians very angry.
The agreement should also not include Investor State Dispute Settlement clauses which would allow foreign companies to sue the Australian Government.
The agreement should also undergo independent economic analysis to understand what the agreement means for jobs and different parts of the economy.
This analysis has been recommended by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Harper Review, the Productivity Commission as well as members of Turnbull’s own party and a Shorten Labor Government will do it.
Labor supports free trade, it supports a stronger trade relationship with the EU, and looks forward to assessing the agreement when it’s finalised.
WEDNESDAY, 23 MAY 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: 9790 2466
