This week Trade Minister Andrew Robb enters into what could be the final round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement but Australians are still in the dark about the details of the agreement.
Mr Robb has completely failed to explain the benefits of the TPP to Australians.
For there to be a significant benefit for Australia from the conclusion of the TPP, it must be a high-quality agreement that boosts exports and national income.
Labor has raised concerns about key elements of the agreement including:

• The inclusion of ISDS provisions that could allow multinationals to challenge Australian policies in international arbitration proceedings.

• The impact of any intellectual property changes on Australian consumers and rights holders.

• A push by the United States to increase in the period of data exclusivity for new biologic medicines, which would delay the introduction of cheaper generic drugs into the Australian market.

Mr Robb should not agree to any TPP provisions that will increase the price of essential medicines in Australia, or jeopardise Australian public policies in areas from healthcare to the environment.
Labor opposes ISDS provisions in trade agreements.
The Abbott/Turnbull Government has included them in trade agreements with Korea and China and has said it is prepared to include them in the TPP.
Former Prime Minister John Howard refused to include ISDS provisions in the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. Andrew Robb and Malcolm Turnbull should follow his lead, listen to the community, and reject the inclusion of ISDS provisions in the TPP.
Before heading to the next round of TPP negotiations, Mr Robb should make a detailed statement about the Australian Governments position on the key issues which are of concern to the Australian community.