A deal at any cost

This is a sample chapter from 'All the way with the USA: Australia, the US and free trade ', reproduced with permission from University of New South Wales Press. http://www.unswpress.com.au/isbn/0868409766.htmSpells out the unanswered questions about the Australia–US FTA. What are the implications of the Howard government’s linking of trade and security? How will the trade agreement affect relations with our other major trade partners, especially those in the East Asian region? Will the Australia–US trade agreement strengthen our ties with the United States, leading to deeper economic integration and more investment and jobs in Australia, or will it diminish our capacity to provide social programs that reflect particularly Australian values?