Fed: Dairy farmers urge MPs to support FTA

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2004
Fed: Dairy farmers urge MPs to support FTA

By Alex Wilson

MELBOURNE, April 20 AAP - The dairy industry today urged MPs to support Australia's
free trade agreement (FTA) with the US as a parliamentary committee continued public hearings
on the deal in Melbourne.

The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties heard submissions from unions, a free trade
advocate, accountants and environmentalists on the impact of the agreement, which is yet
to be passed by the US Congress and Australian Parliament.

Australian Dairy Industry Council chairman Allan Burgess said the FTA would give his
industry a great boost and called for MPs to support it.

"While the industry was disappointed the FTA did not ultimately end up giving us free
trade in dairy products, the agreement does lead to an immediate threefold increase in
Australia's quota access for dairy products to the US and new access will grow at five
per cent a year," he said.

Dairy exporters had been hit hard by the drought and by the strengthening Australian
dollar, he said, and the FTA agreement had provided a much needed confidence boost.

The increased quota is expected to increase dairy exports to the US by about $50 million
in the first year.

Prime Minister John Howard, who is touring regional Victoria, told reporters the FTA
would lock Australia into the world's biggest economy and drive business growth.

"We didn't get everything we wanted but we got a lot that is going to be beneficial
for many parts of the Australian economy," he said.

In Melbourne, ACTU president Sharan Burrow told the committee the agreement threatened
jobs and labour standards in Australia.

Ms Burrow said the government had not provided convincing economic evidence to support the deal.

"They should go back to the drawing board," she said.

"The economic benefits are dubious while the threat to jobs and labour standards is very real."

Free trade advocate Alan Oxley, of ITS Global Consultants, said union opposition to
the FTA was not based on a reasoned assessment of the deal's merits.

He singled out Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union national secretary Doug Cameron,
who addressed the committee in Sydney yesterday.

"Doug Cameron has been opposed to this agreement since the day it was mentioned, he's
as much opposed to free trade as anything," Mr Oxley told the committee.

Certified Practising Accountants Australia (CPAA) representatives told the committee
they supported the agreement but were disappointed accountants had not won easier access
to US work visas and standardised recognition of their qualifications across the US.

The committee will continue taking submissions in Hobart tomorrow.

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KEYWORD: TRADE NIGHTLEAD

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