Labor’s internal woes on the Trans-Pacific partnership trade pact TPP-11 are persisting, with the industrial left faction in Victoria attempting to trigger a grass roots ballot to stop the federal party supporting the deal.
The Victorian sortie, which comes before a meeting of the national left caucus in just over a week to sort through the faction’s agenda for the December ALP conference, follows the leaking of caucus minutes detailing the internal debate over the trade deal.
The federal trade spokesman, Jason Clare, secured backing for the TPP-11 in shadow cabinet and the caucus a fortnight ago, with an accompanying package of measures adjusting the way Australia negotiates trade deals if Labor wins the next federal election.
But while a majority in the federal opposition support the trade pact, there are also vocal opponents both within the caucus and within the trade union movement.
After caucus agreed to support the deal in mid-September, two left-wingers, Victoria’s Gavin Marshall, and Doug Cameron from New South Wales, attempted to reopen the TPP-11 decision during the last parliamentary sitting week.
In a curtain raiser for what is expected to be a significant debate at Labor’s national conference about trade liberalisation, several members of the caucus spoke in opposition to the deal, expressing concern about the impact of the TPP on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and about investor state dispute settlement clauses.
But members of the NSW right faction have stared down internal opposition to the TPP, including shadow ministers Chris Bowen, Jason Clare and Michelle Rowland, and the caucus declined the revisit its decision.
Now, the industrial left faction has submitted a motion to the Victorian state office, with a view to having it voted on at this Thursday’s meeting of the party’s administrative committee.
The motion calls on the federal party “to desist in its efforts to ratify the TPP as it contravenes the ALP platform which was adopted by national conference”.
“This administrative committee calls on the national executive to bring on a vote of all rank and file ALP members and union members nationally to seek democratic endorsement.”
The motion also endorses calls by Victorian Trades Hall Council and the ACTU “to build a mass community campaign to stop the TPP-11’s attacks on Australian workers and democracy”.
In a social media post, the faction describes the move on Thursday as “the first battle in a long war”.
“The industrial left will never stop fighting the trans-Pacific partnership agreement and its attacks on working people and our democracy.
“We will close ranks with our workers, campaigners and activists inside and outside our Labor party to build a mass movement of opposition to this rotten deal and fight for an alternative based on justice, a better life and solidarity for all.”
Clare has been contacted for comment.
