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Thai-Australia Free Trade Agreement


SoiledCowboy

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Thailand and Australia will soon ratify a new free-trade Agreement after it's signing between PM John Howard and Thai PM Tax'em Shinawatra who is currently visiting Canberra - does this mean Aussie boomerangs freely exchanged for Thai women, surely it must...

 

Thai deal to aid PM poll push

By Steve Lewis

July 5, 2004

 

AUSTRALIA will today sign a bilateral trade pact with Thailand, giving the Howard Government another chance to talk up its economic credentials in the lead-up to the federal election.

 

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra flew into Canberra last night ahead of meetings with John Howard and Mark Latham today, and the formal signing of the free trade agreement.

The visit of the Asian political leader has dampened speculation that Mr Howard would call a snap election for August 7.

 

Today's trade ceremony in Parliament House comes as Labor continues internal debate on whether to back the proposed bilateral trade pact with the US.

 

The Government argues that bilateral trade agreements will deliver long-term benefits to the Australian economy.

 

But the Government's budget strategy has been questioned by Canberra-based Access Economics in a hard-hitting forecast.

 

Access has accused the Coalition of embarking on a pre-election spending binge that could send the budget into deficit as early as 2005-06.

 

And in contrast to comments by senior Treasury officials, the respected forecaster is suggesting the Government's big-spending program will put upward pressure on interest rates - but not until after the election.

 

"The Federal Government displayed all the restraint of Meatloaf at McDonald's," Access says in its business outlook statement.

 

Labor's treasury spokesman Simon Crean seized on the Access report, claiming it should sound alarm bells over the Government's "record pre-election spending spree".

 

He said Labor's election commitments would be fully costed and designed to take the pressure off interest rates.

 

This report appears on NEWS.com.au.

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