Australia’s religious speak out against Pacific trade deal

February 05, 2016

Catholic Religious Australia, which represents the nation’s male and female religious orders, has joined a coalition opposing swift ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the trade agreement signed by 12 nations on February 4.

The coalition expressed concerns about economic costs and the “extension of medicine and copyright monopolies” and also called for “independent health, environment, human rights and labor rights assessments.”

In 2015, New Zealand’s Catholic and Anglican bishops expressed “great concern” about the “lack of transparency” in the negotiations. In 2014, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that it took no position on the agreement but offered eight principles for consideration.

 

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Further information:

• Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal signed, but years of negotiations still to come (Reuters)
• Calling for a stop to ratify Trans-Pacific Partnership (Catholic Religious Australia)
• Anglican and Catholic bishops urge transparency by Government on Trans-Pacific Partnership (Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand)
• USCCB: remember workers when discussing Pacific free-trade agreement (CWN, 1/21/14)