19 June 1995

NEWSPAPER REPORT (and FISCHER) WRONG ON APEC

The Minister for Trade, Senator Bob McMullan, said today that a report in this morning's Australian Financial Review citing a 'US policy document' which says key developed countries, including Australia, were moving to transform APEC into a discriminatory trading bloc is 'absolute rubbish'.

Senator McMullan was also critical of Shadow Trade Minister, Tim Fischer, who used the newspaper report as basis for his claims today that 'there is growing evidence that Australia is seeking to re-organise APEC's regional trade liberalisation agenda', without checking the validity of the report.

"The newspaper report is way off track, " Senator McMullan said.

"The fact of the matter is that the focus of APEC discussions this year, led by Japan, has been on a concerted liberalisation approach to achieving the Bogor commitment of free trade and investment.

"Concerted liberalisation is based on APEC members submitting individual action plans on how they would meet the Bogor commitment.

"Those plans would be subject to agreed principles including comprehensive coverage and agreement that liberalisation would start immediately.

"In addition, it has always been recognised that some measures, particularly non-tariff barriers - but not exclusively - would require collective activity.

"The United States has not rejected this approach.

"To portray this approach in any way as prejudging the MFN/preferential issue is wrong, and in fact, if anything, it is favourable to an MFN direction.

"In any event, the MFN/preferential issue is very unlikely to be considered before the Osaka Leaders meeting.

"I am hopeful that the concerted liberalisation approach will shortly be bedded down, and that we will start discussing the substance of what we have set out to achieve through the Bogor commitment.

"I am equally hopeful that in future both the newspaper and Mr Fischer might check their facts and sources before second guessing the Government's policy on APEC and the implementation of the Bogor Declaration.

"In fact, the incoherent series of assertions made by Mr Fischer today are dangerously wrong, and only serve to undermine Australia's APEC position.

"We are working closely with the Japanese in the lead-up to the Osaka meeting.

"It is disconcerting - for us and for the Japanese - to pursue serious objectives for APEC, while others are putting forward completely uninformed positions.

"Trade is usually a bipartisan issue.

"We have had support from the Coalition on APEC and other major trade issues in the past, and I look forward to receiving similar cooperation in the future," Senator McMullan said.

Further information: John Flannery, (06) 277 7420