ANF: Nurses welcome Government's new trade policy
Published: 15 April 2011
The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) has welcomed the Gillard Government’s free trade announcement saying it will continue to protect Australia’s fundamental social and health systems such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
The ANF said today the new policy continues to pursue the economic benefits of trade with other countries, while maintaining the protection of Australia’s own trade interests.
The ANF welcomes a number of significant initiatives which we believe which will liberalise trade laws and lead to greater transparency in Australia’s international trade policy.
The ANF is particularly pleased that the policy no longer supports trade agreement provisions which have the effect of restricting the ability of the Australian government to legislate on social, health and environmental issues.
This will not only protect Australia’s fundamental social and health systems such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), but should end pressure like the multi-national tobacco industry’s legal action against the Federal Government for introducing its much needed health initiatives on the packaging and sale of tobacco products.
The ANF said by the policy’s support for labour standards to be included in future trade agreements as this will assist in protecting Australian workers as well as workers engaged by Australia’s trading partners.
Importantly, the Gillard Government has rejected pressure to include in trade agreements investor state dispute procedures which provide overseas businesses with more legal rights in Australia than domestic businesses.
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