Mr Macarthur is incorrect in his views about global trade issues and developing countries (GA 15/1/99).

Poverty in the Third World is a result of over $2 trillion dollars worth of debt created by irresponsible loans from the First World, and harsh, economic rationalist, structural adjustment programs imposed as a condition of loan refinancing by the International Monetary Fund. If Mr Macarthur really cares about this, why doesn't he ask the Australian government to heed the call of the Jubilee 2000 debt coalition and forgive our portion of the debt?

It is true that the Third World has been disadvantaged by poor market access into the First World. But this was partly set up in the predecessor organisation to the WTO where they were marginalised by the more powerful lobbies of Japan, the US and the European Union. This marginalisation was continued at the WTO talks in Seattle with many Third World countries unable to afford to send enough delegates, and African delegates complaining that there was no provision of translators.

Mr Macarthur would also have us believe that liberalisation is in Australia's interests. But surely he realises that these issues extend beyond export markets for Australian goods. Does he care that environmental laws can be considered to be a non-trade barrier; hence our inability to stop Canadian salmon imports? Does he care that the labeling of genetically modified foods, specifying a requirement for Australian content on television, protecting the sole intellectual property rights of Aboriginal artists or preferring to purchase goods from local companies, could become subject to multimillion dollar fines under rules proposed by the WTO?

The 50,000 courageous people who filled the streets of Seattle in November finally managed to break through the virtual media blackout on trade issues and in doing so have exposed the blatant hypocrisy of our federal government.