Media release

Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile

August 25, 1999

WTO Public Hearings to be Held Next Month

Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, today launched a process of public hearings to help refine Australia's negotiating position for a new round of trade negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Mr Vaile said the hearings, to start next month (September), would provide a unique opportunity for people in all States and territories interested in trade to exchange views with Australia's most senior trade negotiators.

"This underlines my commitment to the principles of transparency and consultation in the formation of our multilateral trading policies."

"The Government has been a leading advocate of a new WTO round because it will be the best means of securing a better deal for our farmers and exporters of manufactures and services," Mr Vaile said.

"The views of the public will play an important role in sharpening our market access strategies and in defining our position on the various other issues that have been proposed for negotiation in the WTO."

Public hearings will be held in capital cities in all States and territories plus the key regional centres of Ballarat, Dubbo, Port Macquarie and Bundaberg. Dates and venues will be notified through notices in the press and on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade web page: http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/hearings/

This is another stage in the process of public consultations launched in February by Tim Fischer. That first stage resulted in over 130 written submissions from State Governments, industry representatives and members of the public from all parts of the country.

An Issues Paper, summarising the views made in those submissions, was released today and is available on the DFAT web page. It is being sent to all those who made written submissions and is available on request to people without Internet access. Department Contact is: Steve Moran tel 02 6261 2980.

The new WTO round is expected to be launched at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle, November 30 to December 3.