The Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement : An analysis of the class divide within Australian society appertaining to globalization

Abstract: Global interest in using free trade agreements to expand trade, investment, integration and other linkages has expanded dramatically in the last twenty years. Australia is not alone in this development and has concluded Free Trade Agreements (FTA), with a number of countries, with little division or debate, within Australian society, about their merits. However, the announcement by the Australian Government in December 2000 of its intention to pursue an FTA with the United States ignited significant controversy in the Australian community and exposed deep concerns about the phenomenon of globalization and the future of Australian society. The ensuing debate revealed deep-seated divisions within Australian society. Utlilizing a combination of Weber’s class-based theory and liberal ideologies (economic, welfare and radical), this research intends to analyze public submissions made to the Australian Parliament Senate Select Committee on the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States (US) in an attempt to identify the reasons for the divisions within Australian society concerning the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA). It is expected the results will illuminate the challenges facing both governments and societies alike in a globalizing world and provide fruitful insights for policy makers in future trade negotiations.