Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CANBERRA1724
2007-12-06 00:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Canberra
Cable title:
PM AA/S MULL'S CALL ON AUSTRALIAN DFAT DEPUTY
how-toP 060045Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8683 INFO AMCONSUL MELBOURNE AMCONSUL PERTH AMCONSUL SYDNEY
C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 001724
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP, EEB, PM; STATE PLEASE PASS USTR/WEISEL, BELL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2017
TAGS: ETRD AS
SUBJECT: PM AA/S MULL'S CALL ON AUSTRALIAN DFAT DEPUTY
SECRETARY RITCHIE - FTA REVIEW
SIPDIS
REF: CANBERRA 1711
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Dan Clune for reasons 1.4 (b),(
d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 001724
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP, EEB, PM; STATE PLEASE PASS USTR/WEISEL, BELL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2017
TAGS: ETRD AS
SUBJECT: PM AA/S MULL'S CALL ON AUSTRALIAN DFAT DEPUTY
SECRETARY RITCHIE - FTA REVIEW
SIPDIS
REF: CANBERRA 1711
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Dan Clune for reasons 1.4 (b),(
d)
1. (C) During a November 30 call by Acting Assistant
Secretary Stephen Mull (reftel),David J. Ritchie, Deputy
SIPDIS
Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
SIPDIS
(DFAT),said new Trade Minister Simon Crean wanted to examine
the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement as part of a general
review of all Australian FTAs which the Labor Party had
promised in the election campaign. Ritchie offered his view
that this did not mean the United States should anticipate
trouble over the FTA.
2. (SBU) Embassy followed up directly with Crean's office.
Crean's senior trade advisor Bernie Eades said the purpose of
the reviews was to see how existing FTAs are performing, with
an eye to developing benchmarks for use in negotiating future
FTAs. He said the review would be an econometric review, and
would probably be contracted out to an academic economist.
He did not anticipate holding hearings in Parliament or
having public comments on the report.
MCCALLUM
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP, EEB, PM; STATE PLEASE PASS USTR/WEISEL, BELL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2017
TAGS: ETRD AS
SUBJECT: PM AA/S MULL'S CALL ON AUSTRALIAN DFAT DEPUTY
SECRETARY RITCHIE - FTA REVIEW
SIPDIS
REF: CANBERRA 1711
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Dan Clune for reasons 1.4 (b),(
d)
1. (C) During a November 30 call by Acting Assistant
Secretary Stephen Mull (reftel),David J. Ritchie, Deputy
SIPDIS
Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
SIPDIS
(DFAT),said new Trade Minister Simon Crean wanted to examine
the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement as part of a general
review of all Australian FTAs which the Labor Party had
promised in the election campaign. Ritchie offered his view
that this did not mean the United States should anticipate
trouble over the FTA.
2. (SBU) Embassy followed up directly with Crean's office.
Crean's senior trade advisor Bernie Eades said the purpose of
the reviews was to see how existing FTAs are performing, with
an eye to developing benchmarks for use in negotiating future
FTAs. He said the review would be an econometric review, and
would probably be contracted out to an academic economist.
He did not anticipate holding hearings in Parliament or
having public comments on the report.
MCCALLUM