Fair Trade

Whatever "Add on" costs you apply to our exports we will apply to your imports.

This applies to ALL additional costs such as the US Farm Subs you point to, not just import duty.

bogarde73 wrote on Oct 10^th, 2013 at 10:19am:


Sadly I think we're about to be done over - AGAIN. It's a case of "we Aussies will agree to get naked as long as you guys agree to take off your hat and socks". What a bunch of impuissant lackwits we have in Canberra.

So the cat's out of the bag . . .see following. We'll let the burglars in if they are part of our free trade community.
Doesn't the national party have anything to say about this? Whatever happened to Barnaby Joyce?

But above all Abbott better remember that what killed Julia Gillard wasn't Kevin's bayonet, it was the broken promise over the carbon tax.
If he starts backtracking on commitments like this I'll personally send Malcolm my machete.
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Joe Hockey hedges bets on foreign investment limits

DateOctober 14, 2013

Treasurer Joe Hockey has left open the possibility of abandoning the Coalition's pledge to increase scrutiny of foreign investment in farmland to strike a free trade agreement with China.

Speaking from Washington, where he has been meeting US politicians and officials as well as officials from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Mr Hockey would not rule out shifting on the issue.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he wants to complete a free trade agreement with China within 12 months.

The Coalition's policy of reducing the threshold at which foreign investments in agricultural land must be considered by the Foreign Investment Review Board from $248 million to $15 million is expected to be a stumbling block in the negotiations. It is believed Beijing wants the threshold raised to $1 billion - the same arrangement that applies for proposed US investments, and an offer made by former trade minister Richard Marles on a mission to China in July.
''We will see where the negotiations take us,'' Mr Hockey told Sky News on Sunday.

''I'm not going to pre-empt the outcome of any of the negotiations, but I do want to emphasise that Australia is open for investment and we need foreign investment. We need foreign investment because Australia cannot fund its own needs. It hasn't been able to fund its own needs since 1788, and we have relied on foreign investment since that time to grow our nation. We are going to continue to rely on that investment, but obviously we need to deal with what is in the national interest.''

Asked about the possibility of raising the threshold to $1 billion, Mr Hockey responded: ''It's a balancing act and I'm very confident that we will get it right if we are to conclude a free trade negotiation with China.''

Mr Hockey said he was confident the US would sort out the fiscal crisis that has caused a partial government shutdown and would not default on its debt.

''The impact of a default by the United States government is catastrophic for the global economy,'' he said. ''The impact of it would be felt immediately and I'm absolutely confident - having spoken to a number of congressmen and senators from both sides of the house - I'm confident there will be a resolution. It might not be pretty, but it will be a resolution and America will not default.''

Mr Hockey said the lesson of the US situation was that nations must live within their means.

''America can no longer afford its lifestyle,'' he said.

Mr Hockey said his predecessor Wayne Swan had handed the Coalition a ''time bomb'' by leaving Australia's debt ceiling at $300 billion, a limit the government would reach before Christmas. ''He's left the hard work on the debt limit in Australia to the Coalition,'' he said.

We already have state owned Chinese companies dumping rubbish products in this country for less than cost so god knows whats going to happen when retard tony signs a free trade agreement with them.
But the good news is that he's doing exactly what Gina and Rupert are telling him to do 

Grendel wrote on Oct 10^th, 2013 at 10:44am:


I've argued long and hard about the benefits of free trade with some hard core skeptics. I passionately believe in the benefits of free trade. However, this "free trade" pact is not about free trade. It's more about establishing a corporate oligarchy.

I dont believe completely in free trade.

I believe in market force economics where you use competitive advantage to your own ends.

Here for example, I dont want us in the European Union but I do want us part of a free trading bloc within EU and including Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.
Then we use that competitive advantage to shut out the non Europeans in certain areas - like agriculture, wine, cars etc - and then make deals with them in other areas.

NAFTA, EU and China could then cut decent enough deals using market forces and gain the best traction.

As an employee of multi nationals for some years, we believe in being global thinking and local doing.

Our oil and gas pipeline supplies in Australia for example are all Aussie companies. We are a Pty Ltd entity, with an Australian head, an Australian management team and we take a big part in the local society down there.
Yet overall remain in control from the US.

Multi nationals work to the same mindset I believe in - market forces but not necessarily totally free.

Free trade - completely free - doesn't actually work and you end up shooting yourself in the foot a little.

Nothing is free - nor should it ever be.

Enquiring mind wrote on Oct 15^th, 2013 at 10:17pm:


or could it be

'Slavery is Freedom'