The Greens today are calling on the Government to ensure the UK-Australia free trade agreement upholds environmental standards, labour rights, human rights and includes a First Nations trade chapter.

Yamatji-Noongar woman and Greens spokesperson for Trade, Dorinda Cox said advancing human rights, protecting workers and our environment should be at the heart of how Australia engages in free trade agreements. 

The Australian Greens will move amendments to the Customs Amendment (Growing Australian Export Opportunities Across the Asia-Pacific) Bill 2019 to increase the transparency of trade negotiations, exclude Investor-State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) provisions and ensure that protecting human rights, workers and our environment is at the heart of how Australia engages with our region, and the world.

Greens Acting Leader, Adam Bandt MP, will move to amend laws designed to implement the controversial Indonesian, Peru and Hong Kong free trade agreements currently before the House of Representatives.
 
His amendments will seek to delay the implementation of the agreements until guarantees on local jobs and protections from corporations being able to sue governments are included, and until the human rights situation in Hong Kong is resolved.
 
Many Labor members and unions are up in arms about the agreements.
 
Greens Acting Leader Adam Bandt MP said:

17/10/2019
 

Australian Greens Trade spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has called on the government to protect the rights of Australian workers and the integrity of our democracy before signing off on the Indonesia, Hong Kong and Peru Free Trade Agreements which are now before Parliament.

“The Greens will be moving two straightforward sets of amendments to the implementing legislation of these FTAs to protect the rights of Australian workers and the integrity of our democracy,” Senator Steele-John said.

Reports of more rare and endangered birds being exported to Germany and into the hands of a convicted criminal must be investigated urgently, the Greens say.

“The Federal Government should never have given permits to allow the trade of rare and endangered birds with a person convicted of fraud and kidnapping. It must be investigated and exports of rare and endangered birds must halt,” Greens environment and trade spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.