One Nation welcomes collapse of big business treaty

7th November 1998

One Nation senator-elect Heather Hill has welcomed the collapse of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) but warned that the Howard-Beazley club at Canberra had not changed its internationalist spots and would continue to support globalist policies like the MAI.

Mrs Hill said the Howard Liberal-National government was just as committed to economic rationalist schemes as before and no way would the external collapse of the MAI soften the government's attitude to selling out Australia's national sovereignty to the international robber barons of big business.

"What has really worried Mr Howard and his mates was the almost universal condemnation of the treaty by the Australian people and the equally universal support of the treaty by Howard interests. Howard has difficulty accommodating these diverse positions," Mrs Hill said.

"Howard and Tim Fischer have been momentarily rescued by the collapse of overseas support for this notorious treaty that would have held Australia to ransom. This means theynow have no treaty to endorse or support and force upon the Australian people to help out their big business supporters," she said.

"But the important issue that should worry Australians is that the Howard Government was aggresively supportive of this treaty, and as such, hasn't changed its spots."

"Tim Fischer speaks in code language and claims he supports 'sensible foreign investment' but he really means he endorses the horrific principles underlying the MAI - the selloff of Australia's independence, the censoring of Australia before international tribunals and the prohibition of local support for local industry and interests."

"Even the government's own parliamentary committee in June this year urged that the government not sign the MAI unless it could be shown to be in the national interest."

"It would take a slicker and more slippery salesman than Howard to prove the MAI was in the national interest, but this is exactly what key coalition ministers have been trying to do," Mrs Hill stated.

Mrs Hill demanded that the treaty-making procedures needed to be changed to ensure proper public and parliamentary scrutiny before any decisions were taken by government on international agreements that could seriously impact on the Australian people.

"The people of Australia should join me in thanking Pauline Hanson for bringing this treaty out from under the covers and ensure that the public were aware of its potential damage," she said. "One Nation will continue to oppose economic rationalism as a major policy thrust to ensure we put Australia first.

Statement issued by Senator-elect Heather Hill

Nation - Pauline Hanson's One Nation Press Releases.