Fed: Govt should come clean on political donations; Gillard

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2004
Fed: Govt should come clean on political donations; Gillard

CANBERRA, Aug 5 AAP - Political donations could explain the government's blank refusal
to accept a Labor amendment to the US free trade agreement, Opposition health spokeswoman
Julia Gillard said today.

Ms Gillard said today's comments by Trade Minister Mark Vaile that the government would
not consider Labor's proposal to safeguard the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme was cause
for concern.

Labor finance spokesman Bob McMullan earlier told ABC radio the government had received
$88,000 from Pfizer and nearly $80,000 from GlaxoSmithKline in the past six years.

The government is refusing to adopt a Labor amendment which would hand out tough penalties
to drug companies which lodge dodgy patents to stop cheap generic drugs coming on to the
market.

While the government has so far deemed as unnecessary any changes on patent laws to
protect the PBS, Labor claims the government is under pressure from pharmaceutical companies
not to agree to the amendment.

"I think there's got to be a concern as to what is behind the government's belligerence
in this matter," Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra.

"What would explain to the Australian people why the government won't even consider
a meritorious amendment to protect the PBS? I think Australians are very concerned to
find out the story behind the story."

When questioned whether political donations had anything to do with it, Ms Gillard
replied: "That really is a question I think the government's got to answer but clearly
the government has been in receipt of sizeable political donations.

"And we haven't had any sensible explanation as to why the government won't consider
Labor's very meritorious proposal to protect the PBS."

But Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane today rejected claims the government was
under pressure from big drug companies to adopt the United States free trade deal.

"I'm sure if you ask the generic companies in terms of the way we've handled this ...

they would say the government has acted properly and fairly and has given maximum advantage
to the generic companies at all times," he told ABC radio.

Opposition frontbencher Kim Beazley said Labor's amendments were sensible.

"The prime minster should just grab `em, get the agreement through, sign `em up and
enjoy his moment," Mr Beazley said.

"Instead, he seems desperate to position the Labor Party in a way he can unfairly characterise
us as anti-American."

AAP db/it/jlw

KEYWORD: TRADE US GILLARD

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