The Abbott Government must release the text of the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement which it announced with great fanfare three months ago.
The finalisation of negotiations was announced on 7 April 2014 and the agreement will now reportedly be signed next week during the visit of Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Australia.
Yet so far all the public knows about the agreement is disclosed in a five-page pamphlet on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades website.
Australian farm groups have expressed concerns about the quality of the agreement. It has also been revealed that the Abbott Government will not conduct any modelling to assess the economic impacts of the deal it has negotiated.
Trade agreements which secure genuine improvements in market access for Australian business are good for jobs and growth.
But the Government should not take community support for granted by signing trade agreements before they have been subject to scrutiny.
Tony Abbott promised he would lead a government that would be transparent and accountable. In keeping with this approach, the Senate has ordered that all bilateral trade agreements be tabled before signing.
It is not acceptable for the Abbott Government to sign a free trade agreement with the Government of Japan before disclosing its details to the people of Australia.

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