Our farmers at risk of carve outs as Emerson ditches Doha
18th October, 2011
TRADE Minister Craig Emerson’s claim this week that the Doha Round of trade talks is dead and that he will pursue a new round of sector-by-sector negotiations will ring alarm bells for Australian farmers,” Leader of The Nationals and Acting Shadow Minister for Agriculture Warren Truss said today, speaking at the Australian National Field Days in Orange, NSW.“This new path being ploughed by Trade Minister Emerson will be seen in Australia’s paddocks as code for abandoning farmers.
“Agriculture has always been the breaking point for comprehensive world trade reform. Now Labor plans to pursue new deals that ignore world agricultural reform, altogether. Under any sector-by-sector trade deal our farmers are certain to be cut out.
“The Doha Round was launched with a promise to farmers that the failure of Uruguay to deliver fairer trade in agriculture would be addressed.
“Despite repeated assurances from the Gillard government and Minister Emerson that comprehensive deals must include agriculture, our farm sector now risks being cut adrift in the most distorted and savagely protectionist arena of world trade.
“Our farmers are renowned as among the most self-sufficient and innovative on Earth, that’s why other countries don’t want to go toe-to-toe with them, instead they hide behind a host of protectionist barriers, including domestic subsidies, tariffs and quotas.
“Labor’s approach to international trade has been another policy failure of the Rudd-Gillard governments, giving away Australia’s competitive advantage for little or nothing in return.
“Labor has failed to stand up for Australian industry facing unfair competition from dumped and subsidised imports, and the free trade agreements they have signed have granted generous access to Australia’s market without corresponding concessions from our trading partners.
“Negotiations for a new free trade agreement with China, as our number one trading partner, have failed, and discussions with Japan, our number two trading partner, have stalled.
“Kevin Rudd said five years ago that Doha was dead, but successive Labor Trade Ministers Crean and Emerson repeatedly insisted that a deal was imminent - ‘a breakthrough is close’ and ‘we are at the end game’ they declared.
“Prime Ministers Rudd and Gillard participated in numerous global Leaders’ Summits that pledged renewed efforts and intensive determination to deliver a Doha outcome, but now Dr Emerson says it’s all over.
“A decade has been wasted. US and European subsides continue unabated. Global protection is on the rise and Australia’s farm sector has been left to fend for itself. Australia’s markets are wide open but few barriers against our exports have been lifted anywhere.
“While details of Minister Emerson’s announcement via selected media are sketchy, the Minister must move immediately to allay farmers’ concerns that they will be left to their own fate while other sectors stitch up lucrative free trade deals.
“Either that or he must outline what provisions the government will put in place for our $32 billion-a -year farm export sector if and when it is carved out, noting that 1.6 million Australian jobs depend on our farmers and that the sector generates $155 billion-a-year in production.
“Our farmers cannot afford to be picked off by our trading partners or left behind by our government.”
[ENDS]
