12:10 Wed 07 Jul 2004 REF: 611BEAB1 Y/R: Aus-USA Free Trade Agreement TO: Senator George BRANDIS MP cc Senate FTA Inquiry Vice-Chair - Senate FTA Inquiry Minister Trade AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT Minister Foreign Affairs Minister Health Dear Senator BRANDISIMPORTANCE OF CHAPTER 16 FOR AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS As you are aware the Submission by the Management Committee of the OIC XML & E-commerce Special Interest Group [XZIG] supported the FTA on the understanding that there was one Electronic Commerce [eCommerce] Standard for Government Procurement not conflicts between the ISO EDIFACT Standard and the US ANSI Standard. It is disappointing to note that in the Government Senators Response Chapter 4 of the Interim Report of the Senate FTA Inquiry into the Aus-USA Free Trade Agreement their is no reference to Chapter 16: Electronic Commerce and the costs to Australian business if there are conflicts in eCommerce Standards. On 08 Jun 2004 Senator FERRIS and yourself as the Government Senators comprised two of the three senators in attendance when I gave Evidence to the Senate Inquiry to explain this issue: (The Government web-master keeps moving the documents so they have been placed on an independent site - please check the old sites and see if you can work out where the documents have been moved - and the Government is promoting web archiving methods based on the US Ted GAEBLER's influence!) The first time Ted GAEBLER visited Australia was in 1993 as the guest of Arthur Andersen to promote a new Model of Government. The Lecture was titled "New World Order" Seminar. Ted GAEBLER had been sponsored by Andersen Consulting to speak to a separate luncheon to senior management of each Australian State Government in 1993. Here is the Agenda of the luncheon chaired by David HUNTER Managing Partner Asia Pacific Government Services Andersen Consulting) Witness: 2005/02/28 - site moved again hence this copy on independent Web site Witness: 2004/09/21 - Full name witness and organisation Page 1 2005/02/28 - site moved again hence this copy on independent Web site Page 1 2004/09/21 - 10 Questions for Centre International Economics [CIE] Page 1 2004/06/14 - 10 Questions for CIE-original-link-not-work-17-Sep-2004 Page 2 2005/02/28 - site moved again hence this copy on independent Web site Page 2 2004/09/21 - Concerns E-Trade Documents will be US Standards Page 2 2004/06/14 - Concerns E-Trade Documents Standards-original-link-not-work-17-Sep-2004 Page 3 2005/02/28 - site moved again hence this copy on independent Web site Page 3 2004/09/21 - Current problems with E-commerce for Australian ports Page 3 2004/06/14 - Current problems with E-commerce-original link-not-work-17-Sep-2004 Page 4 2005/02/28 - site moved again hence this copy on independent Web site Page 4 2004/09/21 - e-Commerce proposed to reduce costs for large organisations not distribute information Page 4 2004/06/14 - e-Commerce proposed to reduce costs-original-link-not-work-17-Sep-2004 Page 5 2005/02/28 - site moved again hence this copy on independent Web site Page 5 2004/09/21 - Tradegate should be able to provide e-commerce statistics Page 5 2004/06/14 - Tradegate provide e-commerce statistics-original-link-not-work-17-Sep-2004 Senator FERRIS partly understood the issues with her reference to the PAL and BETA conflict over the Video Standards. Senator COOK indicated he appreciated the additional costs to Australian Business and consumers when there were different Rail Gauge Standards for each State. On 24 Jun 2004 at the 2nd Reading of the FTA Bill, all Government Speakers mentioned that access to the $ 200 Billion US Federal Government and $ 200 Billion US State Government Procurement, as outlined in Chapter 15, was a major benefit to Australia for the Aus-USA-FTA. Australian companies will only be able to tender for that business electronically hence the significance of Chapter 16: Electronic Commerce I am sure that you as a lawyer appreciate the potential conflicts, costs and frustrations for Australian business trying to do business with the 27 US State Government if the US uses a different E-commerce Standard to that used by Trading partners in Europe. I am recognised as a World expert by IBM UK and the European Community on this issue, hence this letter to you is a request for you to ensure that it is recorded in the Senate FTA Report that: 1 Australia should ensure that all Government Procurement if it is conducted electronically should use the ISO EDIFACT Standard 2 If the US wishes to use the ANSI-X12 Standard than US Government Entities and US Companies pay for the cost of translation and not Australian companies both when competing for Australian Government tenders and when Australian Companies compete for US Government tenders 3 there should be an Australian E-Commerce Governance Committee to ensure that trading partners if they wish to trade electronically comply with the EDIFACT Standard BACKGROUND Please find attached a letter to the Prime Minister outlining the shannigins conducted by members of the Australian Bankers Association [ABA] in 1988 . At that time I was representing the Australian Small Business Association [ASBA] on the Standards Australia IS/11 EDI Standards Committee. At the time I could not understand what was going on but over the next 4 years found out what the Bankers were planning was not in the interests for the Australian Business or the Public 1st letter to the Prime Minister NEXT STEPS We would appreciate your confirmation that the Government Senators Report will include, in the final report, a reference to Chapter 16: Electronic Commerce and the need to ensure all electronic trading partners use a uniform e-trading format Thank you Yours sincerely Stephen GOULD Chair - Management Committee XML & E-commerce Special Interest Group OPEN INTERCHANGE CONSORTIUM 3rd Letter to the Prime Minister C 2004/07/05 18:54 Prime Minister - "E-commerce Governance Committee"
2nd Letter to the Prime Minister B 2004/07/04 11:27 Prime Minister - "Need for Expert Advice on Chapters 15&16" 1 Letter from National Community Network 29 Nov 1988 stating EDIFACT is standard 2 Letter from Chairman IS/11 - EDI Standards 21 Nov 1988 stating ANSI-X12 would be standard 3 Letter ASBA to Standards Australia 10 Oct 1988 4 Preface from Standards Australia Sep 1988 ANSI-X12 as 2 yr Interim Standard 5 Ltr Aus Bankers Assoc to SAA IS/11 05 Aug 1988 ANSI-X12 for 2yr Interim Standard 6 Fax from Arthur Andersen with prologue for SAA 05 Jul 1988 ANSI-X12 as 2 yr Interim Standard 7 Letter from Westpac & Hongkong Bank to ABA 16 Jun 1988 Stating ANSI-X12 will be interim standard 1st Letter to the Prime MInister A 2004/06/24 18:22 Prime Minister - "Concerns with FTA Process" 1 Leiblers take a hit 22 Oct 1998 2 Sir Evelyn ROTHSCHILD opens China 1994 3 Research: Influences of the Jews on English Law 19 Jun 1994 4 A Clarification of Torah Doctrine 06 Feb 1994 "Judaism and Zionism are Mutually Exclusive" 5 The Keating-Leibler Nexus 05 Feb 1994 6 We the People have Reasons have to declare.., 31 Dec 1992