It's surprising to see the almost universal praise that has been heaped on Australia's "free trade" agreements with Japan and South Korea. Considering the Abbott led government gained its parliamentary majority as a result of a campaign based on protecting Australia's sovereignty from asylum seekers, it's ironical the same government is willing to give up this hard won sovereignty for thirty pieces of silver.
Any government that is willing to put the interests of unaccountable corporations, whose major responsibility is to create ever increasing profits for their majority shareholders, before the interests of the people it represents, has lost the right to govern. The tragedy about the current batch of "free trade" agreements is that Australians will be the ultimate losers. Opening up the gates will ensure a large number of jobs in the manufacturing, service, health, financial and education sector will go offshore. Giving corporations the power to seek financial redress through the courts for government decisions that put the interests of Australians before the profits of unaccountable transnational corporations is an abrogation of the fundamental principle of representative government.