[Greens-Media] Greens challenge government to use emergency trade provisions to help farming communities

[Willis, Katrina (Sen C. Milne)]

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday, 11 August 2005

Greens challenge government to use emergency trade provisions to help
farming communities

The Australian Greens today challenged the federal government to invoke
emergency measures under international trade laws to provide interim
relief for farmers, and rural and regional communities hurting from
heavily subsidised imports.

Australian Greens rural and regional affairs spokeswoman Senator
Christine Milne told hundreds of farmers gathered in Canberra that the
government's support of free trade deals had contributed to the
difficulties they faced.

Senator Milne said improved labelling laws, as the Greens had proposed
to Parliament yesterday, was an important start but the government
needed to do more to safeguard Australia's horticulture and food
processing sectors, and provide a secure future for the communities that
rely on them.

"You are the human face of the world trade agreement and the provisions
that are putting people off the land and putting people out of jobs in
the processing industry," said Senator Milne, who was raised on a dairy
farm in Tasmania's north-west.

"One thing that the government can do, and it could do it right now, is
invoke the emergency provisions under the world trade agreement. America
has done it to stop textile imports from China. 

"Why can't Australia invoke those emergency provisions to make sure that
we buy ourselves some time, buy ourselves a couple of years to develop a
robust industry here in Australia?"

The emergency provisions may be applied to produce and products on which
tariffs currently apply. This would exclude New Zealand produce and
products.

Senator Milne also called on Labor and the coalition parties to reject a
free trade agreement with China. She said Chinese products, such as
food, were subsidised by environmental degradation, unregulated chemical
use, human rights abuses and very low wages.

"We are losing all of our manufacturing industry to China and what we
have to understand is that if these politicians support the Australia
free trade agreement with China then you might as well walk off your
farms now," Senator Milne said.

Senator Milne called on environmentalists, farmers, unionists and human
rights activists to work together to tell Australian consumers that when
they choose Chinese peas and beans they are supporting low wages and
human rights abuses, and are putting Australian farmers off their land.

Contact: Katrina Willis 0437 587 562 or 02 6277 3063


Katrina Willis
Adviser
Office of Senator Christine Milne
Ph: 03 6234 4566
0437 587562
Fax: 03 6234 2144
www.greens.org.au