Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018 and another

The majority voted against a motion to amend the usual second reading motion, which is that the majority agree with the bills' main idea (or, in parliamentary jargon, that the majority agree to read the bill for a second time).

Motion text

Omit all words after "that", insert:

", further consideration of the bills be postponed until the Senate passes a resolution that it is of the opinion that each of the following conditions has been met:

(a) the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation has been re-negotiated to include improved protections for labour rights and the environment;

(b) the Parliament has legislated a prohibition on including investor-state dispute settlement provisions in future trade agreements; and

(c) Australia has a settled climate and energy policy."

What do these bills do?

The two bills are:

• Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018; and
• Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018.

The bills were introduced to implement the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11). Their basic purpose is to implement the customs dimensions of the TPP-11 Agreement by making relevant amendments to the Customs Act 1901 and the Customs Tariff Act 1995. Read more in the bills digest.