Use the form on the right to make a submission to the Senate on "investor state dispute settlement" (ISDS), or secret courts under trade deals like the TPP that would allow corporations to sue our government.
Personal messages are the most effective, but here's some points you might like to incorporate:
ISDS gives companies and investors many more rights than they would have under national law - it makes them more powerful
Recently, lots of ISDS cases have been brought to try and stop new laws to protect the environment or public health - such as when Philip Morris sued because a government was introduced regulations about tobacco advertising and packaging - and that puts governments off making rules we need
The cases cost millions and millions of dollars to fight, which might put government off making controversial rules in the first place
The tribunals where these cases are heard aren’t like domestic courts: they happen in secret, and the judges can also act as advocates - plus there’s no appeal system
The “safeguards” some governments claim can limit the bad effects of ISDS don’t seem to be working in lots of cases
Lots of governments are starting with withdraw from ISDS - meaning the Australian government would be bucking an international trend
Learn more:
UN Committee on Trade and Development Briefing on ISDS, UNCTAD, May 2013.
OCED Report on ISDS compared to national courts, OCED, December 2012