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Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Page: 374

Senator CONROY (Victoria—Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity) (15:03): I seek leave to incorporate an answer to a question taken on notice from Senator Di Natale on 22 November 2011.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows —

Senator DI NATALE (Victoria): Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister indicate whether the next major round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership will take place in March in Melbourne, Australia?

Answer

Australia will host the next full TPP negotiating round from 1-9 March 2012 in Melbourne.

The TPP negotiations aim to establish a comprehensive, ambitious FTA that eliminates tariffs and other barriers to trade and investment.

In the Trade Policy Statement the Gillard Government made clear that Australia will no longer seek investor-state dispute settlement in trade agreements—including the TPP.

Nor will Australia support provisions in the TPP that would constrain our ability to regulate legitimately on important public policy matters, including in relation to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme or to our health system more generally.