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n2doc

(47,953 posts)
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:09 PM Jul 2015

TPP negotiations threaten to forcibly commercialise state-owned bodies

Leaked details of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations, published today by WikiLeaks, reveal that the futures of publicly owned enterprises such as Australia Post, the ABC, SBS and state power utilities may be on the negotiating table in secret talks under way in Hawaii this week.

WikiLeaks has published previously unknown details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations relating to the treatment of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) – publicly owned corporations that do not operate along strictly commercial lines and deliver benefits to the community as a whole.

The confidential leaked text, titled "SOE Issues for Ministerial Guidance", reveals for the first time that TPP negotiators have been considering proposed rules, pushed strongly by the United States, that would impose “additional disciplines” on the commercial activities of SOEs and that these would “go beyond existing obligations” under World Trade Organisation rules and other free trade agreements.

The text states that most TPP countries have supported such an approach, which would include new obligations to ensure state-owned enterprises act on the basis of commercial considerations, comply with the non-discriminatory provisions of the TPP, and are accorded no special regulatory treatment by governments while being subject to increased scrutiny from commercial competitors.

more

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2015/07/30/tpp-negotiations-threaten-forcibly-commercialise-state-owned-bodies

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TPP negotiations threaten to forcibly commercialise state-owned bodies (Original Post) n2doc Jul 2015 OP
"ensure state-owned enterprises act on the basis of commercial considerations" arcane1 Jul 2015 #1
this should be interesting for the libertarians and other freedumb loving roguevalley Jul 2015 #7
+1 daleanime Jul 2015 #8
TPP - the gift that keeps on taking. Kudos to the corporations. No more votes for anyone djean111 Jul 2015 #2
Votes? What a quaint concept. You must know the world only runs on $s. erronis Jul 2015 #9
Oh, I know. It is just me shaking my poor little fist. All I can do, really, besides supporting djean111 Jul 2015 #12
So it's a US corporate plot, even though article says "anonymous Australian Hoyt Jul 2015 #3
What the Hell, we may as well just hand-over the WH & Capital Bldgs to Trump 99th_Monkey Jul 2015 #4
Not really. If Australia signs TPP and opens up factory here making little plastic White House Hoyt Jul 2015 #5
since this is all being done in secret behind our backs and written by corporations, wait and see is msongs Jul 2015 #10
For something so secret, you and the fear mongering press sure know a lot about it. Hoyt Jul 2015 #11
Well Obama did sign some Free Trade Agreements a while back d_legendary1 Jul 2015 #19
the point was never to improve the economy, it was to hand everything over to a generous donor class MisterP Jul 2015 #6
If I could scream- ruffburr Jul 2015 #13
"Leaked details". Selective? George II Jul 2015 #14
I could lose my public water and electricity? Omaha Steve Jul 2015 #15
I am sick and tired of TPP apologists pretending there is nothing to see here. Fuck that. Our laws GoneFishin Jul 2015 #16
We still need to flood our Reps, Sens and Prez with pro-people anti-TPP calls.... Dont call me Shirley Jul 2015 #17
Those who stand to gain from the TPP LiberalLovinLug Jul 2015 #18
 

arcane1

(38,613 posts)
1. "ensure state-owned enterprises act on the basis of commercial considerations"
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:15 PM
Jul 2015

That seems like a rather potent statement.

 

djean111

(14,255 posts)
2. TPP - the gift that keeps on taking. Kudos to the corporations. No more votes for anyone
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:33 PM
Jul 2015

connected in any with with these trade agreements.

 

djean111

(14,255 posts)
12. Oh, I know. It is just me shaking my poor little fist. All I can do, really, besides supporting
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 03:15 PM
Jul 2015

Bernie, not supporting DINOs, not supporting anyone who belongs to the New Democrat Coalition (national and Congressional versions), not consider an Obama endorsement a plus.

Is it better to be an aware sheep or a blissful, unaware, flag-waving sheep? Ay, there's the rub.
But - the Fast Track and Trade agreements will determine my voting from now on. Even though, as you say truthfully, this country is being run by $$$$$$s.

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
3. So it's a US corporate plot, even though article says "anonymous Australian
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:34 PM
Jul 2015

officials sought to take credit for the SOE provisions, telling another newspaper that the TPP in part designed to make it harder for the kind of state-owned enterprises that dominate China's external investment profile. One rule is that governments can't give SOEs benefits that allow them to undercut the market,” a source reportedly close to the negotiations said."

More fearmongering.

 

99th_Monkey

(19,326 posts)
4. What the Hell, we may as well just hand-over the WH & Capital Bldgs to Trump
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:52 PM
Jul 2015

and the Koch Bros. before they sue taxpayers' pants off, and be done with it.

Thanks Obama.

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
5. Not really. If Australia signs TPP and opens up factory here making little plastic White House
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:58 PM
Jul 2015

play houses, the White House can't start producing the same/similar product and impose a special tax on the Australian company that prices its product out of the market. That's the way I read this latest line of fear mongering, but we'll wait and see.

msongs

(67,420 posts)
10. since this is all being done in secret behind our backs and written by corporations, wait and see is
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 03:09 PM
Jul 2015

appears to be the only possibility unless some civic minded entity can come up with a copy of all this and post it on the internet. otherwise, corporate mission accomplished

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
11. For something so secret, you and the fear mongering press sure know a lot about it.
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 03:14 PM
Jul 2015

Fortunately, we'll all get to see it before Congress even starts considering it. My bet is, about 95% of the people complaining, still won't read it.

I agree that the same could be said about me. But, I just don't believe Obama and the TPP are part of some grand scheme to enslave us all.

d_legendary1

(2,586 posts)
19. Well Obama did sign some Free Trade Agreements a while back
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 05:36 PM
Jul 2015

So he must be our friend after all? Hmmm....

ruffburr

(1,190 posts)
13. If I could scream-
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 03:22 PM
Jul 2015

I would, Once again the facts that do come out about the TPP show how bad this "Deal" is, It cannot be allowed to go through, For oh so many reasons!

GoneFishin

(5,217 posts)
16. I am sick and tired of TPP apologists pretending there is nothing to see here. Fuck that. Our laws
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 03:58 PM
Jul 2015

should not be dictated by corporations.

I don't give a shit what color lip stick they put on this pig. TPP is a piece of shit designed to freeze the public out of any input into the legislative process.

Just fucking NO.

Dont call me Shirley

(10,998 posts)
17. We still need to flood our Reps, Sens and Prez with pro-people anti-TPP calls....
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 04:27 PM
Jul 2015

Every call you make to your Reps, Sens and WH is worth 4,000 constituents voices, so call.

Whitehouse Comments: 202-456-1111

United States Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121

LiberalLovinLug

(14,174 posts)
18. Those who stand to gain from the TPP
Thu Jul 30, 2015, 04:30 PM
Jul 2015

both in the private sector and politicians who have friends in high places...

want this fast-tracked and passed as soon as possible. Because as we all know once passed, there may be some even large demonstrations, a lot of long threads on DU, Daily Kos, HP, and even a few Libertarian Bagger sites.

But after a couple/few years, after numerous news cycles, some much more "sexy". Some new war, mass shootings, Kim and Kenye get divorced....and with the corporate news doing its best never to mention the deal-that-shall-never-be-named, ignoring the scattered and dwindling tpp specific protests....Life will go on, and, like the new unimpeded fracking opening up everywhere thanks to this deal, it will all happen mostly out of sight, underground, slowly stripping rights, health, and wages from the average worker in all the countries that signed on. And that will eventually become the new normal. Its worked time and time again. No reason for them to think it won't work again.

We have to stop this.

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