Do you agree that there has been a net benefit to Australia in trade liberalisation?
I think there has been a benefit to certain regions and certain industries on trade liberalisation. The question of whether there has been an overall net benefit is one that I believe should be determined after an incoming Labor Government conducts a social audit of the effect of trade liberalisation. Would you say the indicators should be purely jobs, or are there other factors involved? There are a number of factors. I think the evaluation of trade should be determined in employment growth and in improved social protections: the implementation of core labour standards; sustainable environmental standards; the elimination of forced labour and child labour and the adherence to human rights and democratic values. That is the context I believe trade should be analysed in. In your fair trade call you are effectively advocating that Australia takes a lead in these issues by putting its own penalties on countries that don’t meet those standards. What I have asked the ACTU to consider, and w
