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Australia

Australian rural real estate agents target Chinese buyers
25-Jun-2015 Xinhua
Rural real estate agents in Australia are taking advantage of the recent free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia and China by increasing farm sales to Chinese buyers.
Free trade agreements ’preferential’ and dangerous, says Productivity Commission
24-Jun-2015
The Productivity Commission has launched a scathing attack on Australia’s latest series of free trade agreements, saying they grant legal rights to foreign investors not available to Australians, expose the government to potentially large unfunded liabilities and add extra costs on businesses attempting to comply with them.
Free trade agreement: Voters oppose China-Australia deal after hearing controversial elements: poll
24-Jun-2015
Voters in marginal seats across four states strongly oppose key aspects of Australia’s free trade agreement (FTA) with China, according to an opinion poll.
NZ seeks better deal with China
23-Jun-2015 NZ Herald
The Government is looking to China to renegotiate its free trade agreement with New Zealand after China signed a more generous agreement with Australia.
Stalled Indonesia-Australia trade talks may restart after spats
23-Jun-2015 Bloomberg
Australia is seeking to restart trade talks with Indonesia, Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb said, after a series of diplomatic spats left the negotiations in limbo.
Working through night on India FTA: Hockey
22-Jun-2015 AAP
Australia is putting pressure on India to sign up to free trade agreement as good as the one finalised with China last week, says Treasurer Joe Hockey
Half-baked China-Australia Free Trade Agreement is lopsided
19-Jun-2015 Canberra Times
Remarkably, the Australian government has given Chinese companies a general right to buy resources and other assets in Australia – so-called market access – without getting the same right for Australian companies in China.
China-Australia FTA (2015)
18-Jun-2015 DFAT
Union calls for Labor to block free trade agreement with China
17-Jun-2015 The Guardian
In a sign of the pressure that will be brought to bear on the opposition as it considers its stance on the just-released FTA, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union warned Labor against making a pragmatic decision to offer its overall support.
Government pessimistic over bigger Trans-Pacific Partnership
17-Jun-2015 News.com.au
Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb told ABC radio: “If it’s not dealt with in the next two or three weeks I think it’s … we’ve got a real problem with the future of the TPP.”
China, Australia to sign free trade deal
16-Jun-2015 Global Times
After 10 years of negotiations, the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) will be signed on Wednesday and the text will be released on Thursday.
‘Negotiators working overtime to seal India-Australia FTA’
4-Jun-2015
Indian and Australian negotiators were working overtime for the proposed free trade agreement, Australian High Commissioner to India Patrick Michael Suckling said here on Thursday.
Latest Wikileaks dump raises concerns for regulation in Australia
4-Jun-2015
A new dump of leaked secretive trade deal documents on WikiLeaks reveals an international agreement could prevent future Australian governments from introducing regulations around licensing, qualifications and technical standards, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Pacific Civil Society Swings Out Against Free Trade Agreement
4-Jun-2015
Fourteen Pacific Island Forum countries are currently locked in negotiations with their two largest economic neighbours, Australia and New Zealand, to forge a new regional free trade agreement called ‘PACER Plus’, which supporters believe will boost economic growth in the region.
Australian MPs allowed to see top-secret trade deal text but can’t reveal contents for four years
2-Jun-2015 The Guardian
Australian politicians have been told they can view the current confidential negotiating text for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, but only if they agree not to divulge anything they see for four years, despite expectations the deal could be finalised within months.
Australia pressuring Canada in TPP for greater wine access, citing EU gains
1-Jun-2015 Canadian Press
An internal memo from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development says the Canadian government is being pressured by TPP parties to give them same outcomes as EU got under CETA.
Chinese dairy farmers upset with Australian free trade agreement
27-May-2015 ABC Rural
Chinese dairy farmers fear their government is sacrificing the local industry to promote trade with Australia.
China free trade agreement details within weeks of release
21-May-2015
Six months after the deal was struck, the full details of Australia’s trade agreement with China are expected to be released within weeks.
More Dirty Little TPPA Secrets
18-May-2015 Foreign Control Watchdog
Imagine Trade Minister Tim Groser gets to the meeting of ministers to do the final horse-trading for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (now slated to happen in late May 2015), plays his final hand and signs away our future for a carton of milk powder. He will know that’s not really the end game: a final deal is not a final deal until the US Congress says so. The US has two more aces in its hand.
Reject TPP dispute settlement: ALP
15-May-2015
Labor has called on the federal government to follow the example of the Howard years and oppose the inclusion of a controversial dispute-settlement provision in trade talks with the US.