Media Release

The KAP, Glenn Lazarus Team and The Australian Greens united yesterday in opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), which was tabled in full in the House of Representatives along with the National Interest Analysis.

KAP Leader Hon Bob Katter, Senator Glenn Lazarus and Greens’ Trade Spokesperson Senator Peter Whish-Wilson fronted a joint press conference at Parliament House to oppose the ratification of the TPP, which is expected within weeks.

Whilst full details of the TPP Agreement were laid before Parliament, all three politicians attacked the Government’s own analysis of the Agreement – an analysis which is unlikely to highlight the real losses to Australian manufacturers and producers.

Mr Katter said that the TPP Agreement was the greatest threat to Australia’s sovereignty in decades.

“There has been a hole a mile wide torn in the sovereignty of Australia,” Mr Katter said.

“If there is a product which some foreign corporation is producing or distributing in Australia and they have invested money, then we can’t stop that product from coming in - so what is left of our sovereignty is now vanishing away.

“Andrew Robb, one of the most appropriately named Ministers that I have encountered in my time in Parliament, has greatly erred here, so maybe we should call him Rob-err.

“He has an extraordinary eagerness to please foreign corporations and to get foreign investment – but what he calls foreign investment I call the stealing of our country!

“I defy him in the last 10 years to tell me where any significant jobs have been created by foreign investment, that hadn’t already started 15-20 years ago.

“And in the last 10 years, since this fanatical free trade business has been going on, I defy them to point out to me where there has been one benefit for the Australian economy.”

Mr Katter pointed to the absurdity in the Government’s own figures published today – which cited $109 billion in sales to TPP countries, versus $1,109 of investment in Australia by TPP countries – meaning a staggering ten times more imports than exports, all of which compete with if not eradicate Australian producers and manufacturers.

“Mr Robb says that this agreement will open up avenues for Australian manufactured goods – for iron and steel, ships and auto parts to name a few.

“But manufacturing – it’s already all gone. There is no capital investment by Government, no motor vehicles produced, no white goods produced – no manufacturing left in the country.

“We allow slave labour produced goods into the country without any tariffs or restrictions on them whatsoever.

“Instead of trading aggressively and collectively, we have the weakest trading position of any country on earth.

“The Government keeps pressing ahead talking about foreign investment as if it’s a good thing – when we all know it’s just selling your country off because your country’s broke, the Government’s broke, and the only way to get out of trouble is to sell off the assets,” Mr Katter said.

The attached photos are of KAP Leader Hon Bob Katter, Greens Trade Spokesperson Senator Peter Whish-Wilson and Leader of the Glenn Lazarus Team Senator Glenn Lazarus.