Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Sunday he was confident a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States would not stall over last-minute amendments designed to guarantee Australians' access to cheap prescription medicines.
Downer said he did not believe the agreement would have to go back to parliament to remove the amendments, which were insisted upon by the Labour opposition and which US pharmaceutical giants claim breach World Trade Organisation rules.
"It's premature to talk about going back to the parliament," he told Channel Nine.
"I hope that that won't be necessary and I'm fairly confident it won't be in relation to changes that the Labour Party put into the legislation."
Canberra and Washington must exchange letters certifying the deal by the end of October if they want it to come into force on January 1, the deadline set by US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister John Howard when negotiations began two years ago. Downer said the amendments had complicated matters but Australian officials were holding talks with their US counterparts in a bid to ease concerns.
"We'll just have to wait and see how those discussions go," he said. "I know (Trade Minister) Mark Vaile is quietly optimistic that we'll be able to find a way forward so that we can exchange the letters and the FTA can come into force."
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