Consumers must come first in any Uk-australia trade deal
Trade deals are often spoken of as beneficial for industries – what will the agricultural sector get out of this? How will it impact manufacturing? However, these deals also have the potential to deliver massive benefits to individual consumers, something that is all too often left out of the conversation.
The leaders of Australia and the United Kingdom now have an opportunity to demonstrate how an ambitious agreement can improve the everyday lives of consumers, as well as big business.
With London as host, and the wider backdrop of Brexit, the Commonwealth heads of government meeting – with trade the priority – seems to have taken on added importance. We know that Australia’s prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and UK Prime Minister Theresa May are meeting soon, with a bilateral trade deal top of their agenda.
The talks offer a chance to build momentum for a deal and, with several rounds of discussions already having taken place, Australia seems to be in pole position for an important and symbolic agreement.
There is so much to be gained for both countries. There are obvious economic benefits for big business and we could see both countries become larger players in their respective import and export markets.
The negotiations provide the opportunity to give consumers access to cheaper products and services backed by strong safety and quality standards. The chance should be grasped to improve standards on both sides, and raise the bar on quality.
This should not be forgotten, or treated as an afterthought, as it has been in the past. If our governments want to succeed in selling a trade deal to their populations, they need to learn the lessons of ambitious deals of the recent past, such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Both agreements faced significant public opposition because leaders failed to convince people that there was something in it for them. The TPP and TTIP were brokered behind closed doors, and despite detailed consultation with industry groups, little information was provided to the public about what was on the table. When information on the deals was finally released, the benefits to consumers remained unclear.
There is a significant opportunity for a Uk-australia deal that works for consumers, delivering tangible benefits that we can all understand.
Few nations share such close social and cultural ties as Britain and Australia, and a huge number of people travel between the two countries each year. Nearly a million Australians visited the UK in 2016 and hundreds of thousands travelled the other way. So why not expand free mobile roaming, which has proved hugely popular with consumers since it was introduced across the EU? This would end the bill shock that often accompanies the return from holiday, giving consumers more money to spend on other goods and services.
Travellers could also benefit from better rights when flights are delayed or cancelled – an area where rights under Australian laws are much weaker than in the UK. This would benefit UK tourists who face problems while travelling in Australia, as well as Australian consumers travelling to Britain, and could pave the way for similar arrangements in other international agreements.
The negotiations should also be a platform for both countries to examine their broken product safety systems – which are failing to keep dangerous goods out of people’s homes.
A recent Which? investigation revealed that faulty appliances were
‘There is a significant opportunity for a deal that works for consumers, delivering tangible benefits’
causing 60 house fires a day, while in Australia, tens of thousands of dangerous Samsung washing machines remain in consumers’ homes despite a national recall.
It’s also important that any deal does not come at the cost of compromising existing protection levels in each country. Food safety and quality, for instance, are areas that the UK public feel particularly strongly about, and won’t want the Government to water down standards as part of an agreement with any country.
Securing a positive deal would be a real boost to Which?’s very simple goal when it comes to Britain’s departure from the European Union – for the Government to deliver a Brexit that puts consumers first. There are clearly both opportunities and challenges ahead, but as the UK leaves the EU, the Government should seize the chance to forge an even better environment for consumers once it is given control over all aspects of consumer protection in areas such as energy, travel and food.
In March, Which? launched its Consumer Charter for Brexit that sets out what needs to happen across a number of sectors to minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities of the UK’S departure. Politicians from all parties, the Government and business should all get behind this vision and work with Which? to ensure that the UK becomes a true world leader in consumer protection.
As the leading consumer groups in both the UK and Australia, Which? and Choice believe that free trade can provide access to better goods and services at fairer prices, but only if negotiators focus on the issues that matter most to consumers – standards, choice, rights and price.
If an agreement between our two countries embraces these concepts and delivers for consumers then it could set the standard for a new wave of trade deals that enjoy widespread support, not just for Brexit Britain and Australia but across the world.