US FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION BILL 2004: Consideration of Senate Amendments

13th Aug 04

Mr ORGAN (Cunningham) (12.37 p.m.) — I rise to speak on these two amendments, which go to the US Free Trade Agreement Implementation Bill 2004 and also to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. As we are aware, one has to do with Australian cultural content in our media and the other is about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The Australian Greens' position on these amendments and on other aspects of the US free trade agreement is quite clear and well known. Our points have been outlined in detail over the last couple of days by Senator Bob Brown and Senator Kerry Nettle in the other place. I do not need to go through all that here today. We have stated quite unambiguously that the Greens are opposed to the US free trade agreement because it is not in our national interest. There are too many negatives, and one negative is one negative too many. Other speakers in this debate have already highlighted some of the concerns out there about the impact it is going to have on this country over the coming years.

The amendments are part of the problem and part of the sell out of the Australian people. There are questions about the amendments, especially about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. I think the people of Australia have been getting a lot of mixed messages about the PBS from day one. We just heard the minister say the how PBS is fully protected. I am getting information from various people saying that it is not fully protected. There are some doubts out there. In light of the recent increase in the cost of medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, in terms of the schedule of payments, of $4.90, there is a lot of concern out there in the community about the cost of medicines in this country and also about the way in which Medicare is being attacked. These amendments regarding the PBS are one area that is going to cause and is causing a lot of concern for the people of Australia. The threat that the US will be able to bring pressure to bear on this country via the free trade agreement and these amendments, resulting in an increase in the costs of medicines, is something that I know I and the people of Cunningham are very concerned about.

Medicines are becoming expensive enough as it is, and we are already hearing stories of people forgoing medicines because they cannot afford them. I recently met with a lady who has to take 20 different prescriptions every day just to stay alive. Even though she is on the gold card, the pensioner card et cetera, the cost is still going to be substantial for people like her. This is an area of real concern. The whole FTA is a cop-out. Labor has sold out. The government has sold us out. I will not go into the real concerns we have about the loss of sovereignty by this free trade agreement and the fact that the US is now telling us what to do in so many areas. This is an agreement between executive governments; it is not an agreement between the parliaments, and that is the thing that is of real concern. As I said, some of these issues have been raised in the other place by the two Australian Green senators and other members of the crossbench. It is a dud deal. Issues such as the environment FTA have not been addressed much at all in this place. Some of those amendments were put in the other place by the crossbenchers but we do not have the opportunity to put them to the government here and debate some of those amendments. That is a real shame. And the member for Calare has outlined the real problems with this place not being able to address some of those issues.

The Greens are opposed to the US free trade agreement. We are quite clear about that. We see it as a sell-out. It is not in our national interest, and there is ample evidence for that. There is a lot of concern out there. The community is increasingly concerned and, with the passage of this legislation through the House today, it is going to be quite clear to them who is on their side as well as some of the real negative implications of the US free trade agreement for ordinary Australians.