The Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson says that when it comes to failing to protect the public interest from corporations being given rights to sue Australia, there is no difference between Labor and Liberal.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Despite the overwhelming weight of evidence presented and submissions received for the inquiry into the Trade and Foreign Investment (Protecting the Public Interest) Bill 2014, Labor and Liberal have used their numbers on the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee to recommend that the Bill should not pass.

The Greens spokesperson for Trade, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, provides the following comments about today’s hearing into the Greens Bill to ban Investor-State Dispute Settlement provisions in trade deals - Trade and Foreign Investment (Protecting the Public Interest) Bill 2014.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “I introduced this bill to make sure these Trojan horse provisions in trade deals received appropriate parliamentary attention.

The purpose of the Trade and Foreign Investment (Protecting the Public Interest) Act 2014 is to protect Australian laws by banning Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions. The Bill has been referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation committee for inquiry.

If you have concerns with ISDS and support protecting Australian laws by banning ISDS, it's vital that you let the Australian parliament know by making a submission to this inquiry.  The number and quality of submissions is important and will make a difference.

For over three years Senator Peter Whish-Wilson and the Greens repeatedly called for the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) to be made public and warned against the dangers of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).