Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister For Trade and Investment, Senator Sinodinos. Senator, when you were chief of staff to the Prime Minister back in 2004, John Howard famously held out against US pressure and refused to include investor state dispute settlement clauses in the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. This was a smart move. Unfortunately for Canada, since signing up to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which included an ISDS, the Canadian people have been sued by US firms at least 35 times. Why have you and your government now rolled over to US pressure to give special rights to corporations through the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement to sue our government and undermine our parliament and sovereignty?