The Wire

Senator Peter Cook, the chairman of the senate inquiry and former trade minister, said that the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement was worse than it should have been because Mr Howard ended negotiations early for political reasons. Will Farrell spoke to Dr. Patricia Ranald of the Australian Fair trade & Investment Network, a national network of 87 community organisations that monitors the impact of trade agreements, about the possibility of post agreement ammendments to protect the Pharmaceutical benefits scheme, intellectual property & other issues which are under threat.