Michael Wessel, a cleared advisor on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and a 21-year veteran on trade policy within the US Democratic Party, has slammed the secrecy surrounding the TPP, which has precluded public debate and disallowed experts like him, who have read to draft text, from voicing their concerns publicly. From Politico Magazine:
The public criticisms of the TPP have been vague. That’s by design—anyone who has read the text of the agreement could be jailed for disclosing its contents. I’ve actually read the TPP text provided to the government’s own advisors, and I’ve given the president an earful about how this trade deal will damage this nation. But I can’t share my criticisms with you.
We should be very concerned about what’s hidden in this trade deal—and particularly how the Obama administration is keeping information secret even from those of us who are supposed to provide advice…
…the administration is being unfair to those who are raising proper questions about the harms the TPP would do. To the administration, everyone who questions their approach is branded as a protectionist—or worse—dishonest…
The text of the TPP, like all trade deals, is a closely guarded secret. That fact makes a genuine public debate impossible and should make robust debate behind closed doors all the more essential…
I highly recommend that you read Wessel’s article in full, since it provides an important insight into the failure of due process governing the TPP.
Wessel’s concerns about the Obama Administration’s handling of the TPP could also just as easily be extended to the Abbott Government, whose Trade Minister, Andrew Robb, has frequently derided any legitimate opposition to the TPP as ‘protectionist’ or ‘dishonest’.
It’s a sad indictment of our political system that a massive deal like the TPP could be signed without any meaningful public debate or consultation.
