The Pirate Party wishes to draw attention to the TPP ministerial meeting to occur tomorrow, 25 October 2014, and continues to reiterate the demand that the draconian text be made public.

Tomorrow, 25 October 2014, Sydney will host a meeting of trade ministers from countries currently negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). The aim of the meeting is to conclude the “basic elements of the agreement before the end of the year,” despite the last four years of negotiations being fraught with fundamental disagreements. Of enormous public concern is the lack of transparency surrounding what is intended to be a comprehensive agreement: at this point in time, no drafts have been officially made available for public comment or consideration.

“Recent leaks[1] show the negotiators have learned nothing from the public outcry over previous leaks. The negotiators are pushing ahead with paradigm-shifting intellectual property provisions in the interests of entrenched American corporations, going above the sovereign parliaments of their own nations. Once the document is signed, it is very unlikely to be changed, and very likely to be waved through Parliament with limited oversight. This is legislation through the backdoor; corporate capture of democracy,” commented Brendan Molloy, Pirate Party President.

“It is beyond time that the text was made public. We have seen the content of it through leaks, and what we have seen would have a significantly negative impact on everything from freedom of expression, access to knowledge and access to medicine[2], all in the interests of American corporations. This agreement is not in the national interest.”

“Australia should not be sacrificing a digital future for short term gains in mining and agriculture.”

There is presently no expected completion for the agreement, with the deadline constantly being pushed back. Once finished, it will be signed by representatives of the negotiating countries, and be ratified by the Australian Government at some point after that. The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will conduct an inquiry into the TPP and make recommendations to the Government, however Parliament is not required to approve the Agreement (but may be required to pass new legislation in order to maintain any new obligations Australia receives). The Pirate Party urges all concerned Australians to submit to the Committee when the inquiry is announced.

[1] https://www.wikileaks.org/tpp-ip2/
[2] http://digital.org.au/content/breaking-leak-controversial-tpp-ip-chapter-shows-us-still-pushing-draconian-copyright