the fact is there were meetings with the trade unions yesterday. there will be meetings with the trade unions tomorrow. there will be meetings on friday. these discussions, these negotiations are underway. let me repeat again what he said in june. it is wrong to strike when negotiations are going on. and yet today he has -- backed the strike. his irresponsible, left wing and week. [shouting] >> mr. speaker. i am not going to demonize -- [shouting] >> people who earn in a week for a chance to -- [shouting] >> now. mr. speaker, mr. speaker -- >> members on both sides of the aisle need to calm down. if there are senior members of the house you think is a laughing matter let me tell them that it isn't. the public would like to see some decent behavior and a bit of leadership on these matters and so what i. the leader of the opposition. >> he is the one who went around saying he is privately delighted because they walked into his trap and that is the reality. and the truth is, mr. speaker, it is not just public sector workers who are paying for the fail

and the rest of us were -- none of us were perceived as hostile to trade unions. with respect to labor relations itself, dealings with unions on collective bargaining, before him, arthur goldberg, in the democratic administration, had spent enormous amount of time, effort, and publicity at actually working at settling labor relations disputes. settling strikes. arthur goldberg became famous for running around the country settling disputes. and woods tried to do that as well. george schultz decided when he came into office that was a profound mistake. he once said as secretary of labor, if you hang out your shingle, regarding settlement of disputes, you'll get all the business. and so he did not do that. the one area where there was enormous pressure to settle disputes was in the transportation industry. airlines, railroads, in part covered by the nab labor relations act and covered by the railway labor act. because those could result in international disputes that would paralyze -- national disputes that would paralyze the country and sometimes require the governme

what is notable is the party opposite has taken the side of trade union leaders that want to actually disrupt our country. >> with taxpayers pay 1 hundred million pounds to the system to make workers redundant is the prime minister aware 1 hundred million pounds for five new planes to be built for our red arrows. is there not a better use? >> i strongly support british aerospace. extraordinarily strong british company to have the full backing of the british government and enormous order book in terms of the strategic defense review and massive backing from us in terms of selling aircraft and typhoons all over the world to countries that need them. there have been issues and difficulties which is why we put in and the enterprise zone and everything to help those people and that company. >> does the prime minister share my belief or the belief of leaders of the opposition that now is not the time to strike until negotiations are being completed. >> the hon. gentleman makes a very good point. just in case anyone didn't get it the first time in these strikes are wrong at a time when negot

trade unions in switzerland are warning that thousands of jobs could be lost because of the euro zone crisis and the very high value of the swiss francs. switzerland is not a member of the european union, but the european union is its biggest trading partner. now the swiss franc has increased in value over the last few months and it is putting pressure on a country which so far has escaped the worst of the economic downturn. >> is there any lights in the european economic gloom? yes, there's one place where the money keeps flowing. this is zurich, the millionaires while. switzerland may be in the center of europe, but not in the euro zone or the european union. there is little sign of financial crisis here. but look closely and the economic success loses some of its sparkle. 60% of exports go to your opinion. the swiss are famous for high tech position projects -- products like these. but the crisis in the euro zone means the market for them is shrinking. >> since the middle of this year we have seen a slowdown in the european economy and an aunt in orders. -- and in orders. we do exp

. >> trade unions in switzerland are warning that thousands of jobs could be lost because of the high value of the swiss franc. switzerland is not a member of the european union, but the european union is nonetheless its biggest trading partner. >> is there any light in the gloom of europe's economic problems? one places where -- there is one place where the money seems to keep flowing. often called the millionaires mile, switzerland might be right in the center of europe, but it is not in the eurozone. so far there is little sign of a financial crisis. but look closer and the success loses some of its sparkle. this was our famous or high-tech precision proverb. the crisis in the eurozone reflects something that is shrinking. >> we have already seen a slowdown in the european economy. we do not think that it will fall apart altogether. we are expecting a slowdown in europe. what will happen with the euro? we cannot give an answer to that. we are trying to be prepared for anything that could happen. the franc rose 20% against the euro in just a year and a half. swiss products that are

you know the farmers trade unions and university students asked me to mediate interviews where you'll be able to have the government finally have to accept me as a mediator but the company always refused to let me mediate with them again. if you provoke them. if you act like a hot shot yelling silly things. then instead of reaching the solution there will be a bloodbath. and you've got some of them will die but more poor people will die and they'll remember their dead forever but who will remember the poor so i'm asking you it's better to fight than to be contaminated. no no no no no please forget that slogan friend if i agree with you but it seems like you're saying kill me. we want to live or if anyone here wants to die there's a cemetery oh burke i'll help you dig the hole and give them us we want to live right this is a struggle for life. yes to live no to gold. for the first time people living in the nearby city of america join the farmers to defend mount killings was freedom for those under arrest was. here they are these are the ones who will always fight. the. now we have no m

trade unions had argued that a decision about which measure of inflation was used was unlawful. million public sector workers went on strike over changes to their pensions, but today unions lost a key legal battle over how pensions will be increased for years to come. pensions are up-rated annually to take advantage of the price of a rise -- rising price of a basket of goods. in april the government switched to the c.p.i., the consumer prices indelk, which is says it a mar accurate reflection of the inflation we all feel. but the c.p.i. tends to be low, to phil kendall and millions of other public sect orr employees now face a cut in what they will receive. >> the c.p.i. measure is sort of like a percentage point on average lower than the i.p.i. so i probably won't notice it next year, but it's the same amount every year that my mention is going to be eroded and eroded and eroded and that just doesn't seem jufment? takey teacher who retires on 10,000 pounds a year. over 20 years she'll receive 40,000 pounds less. but that's an enormous saves to a government. >> i'm told there ar

italy's three largest trade unions called the strike. they say ordinary workers are bearing too much of the cost of the debt crisis. they want mario monti's government to step up governments to crack down on tax evaders. >> it is all due and balloon for us workers. in my opinion, these measures are all run -- all doom and gloom for us workers. in my opinion, these measures are all wrong. his family would of expected these measures to target privilege -- >> we would have expected these measures to target the privileged. >> we will continue to protest. we cannot stay silent. >> the government hopes to save around 24 billion euros with its austerity program, including tax hikes and raising the retirement age. the package is expected to be passed by the italian senate this week. >> now more news with sabrina. >> the german foreign minister has reaffirmed britain's importance to the european union was speaking on a visit to london in the first high-level meeting between the heat of countries since the divisive eu - between the two countries s

apprentices will be graduates of state certified apprenticeship programs that are administered by the trade unions. we plan to come back, as maria mentioned, to the board, to provide quarterly reporting on the apprenticeships and pre- apprenticeship programs and the efforts we have been engaged in and to monitor and report on progress of the contractors, unions, on referring and enlisting apprentices on the project. that concludes my presentation on the pla. we recommended to the board for adoption. happy to answer questions you might have. director ortiz: i am sorry i was done here the lost time, but you discussed it in october. i have a couple of questions. director reiskin mentioned something. reporting done about the jobs created? >> that is correct. if you look at the last resolution results clauses and the resolution, we will be doing it. director ortiz: as a partner of this, contributor of funds, ac transit representative, i would like to see the breakdown geographically of where the jobs have come from, number one. i would like to see the ac transit service area in the east bay to have the

. >>> trade unions and britain have staged the biggest private sector. public-sector strike in decades, nearly 1 million workers protesting against the pension reforms which may mean later retirement and higher contributions. the government called it a damp squib and has called for further negotiations. >>> five somali men have been jailed for several years for taking a couple hostage and the gulf of aden. ddot was hijacked in 2008. it french special forces stormed the vessel two weeks after it was captured. >>> you are watching "newsday." endangering a decade of progress, afghan women were about the withdrawal of western- led forces. >> and is too much a bad thing? >>> supporters of the former president of the ivory coast said they are outraged the has been flown from the country to face charges in the international criminal court. laurent gbagbo was overthrown in an armed civil conflict after he refused to accept feet in last year's presidential election. -- accept defeat in last year's presidential election. bram>> the transfer to the head became with

be dry docking for a two-week repair job, generating thousands of man hours of work for a local trades union. in 2007, understanding the importance of this industry, the mayor formed a cruise terminal advisory panel to look at the need for a new terminal, and recommended to the port that they develop a single bird primary cruise terminal to meet all the industry standards. these recommendations were accepted by the port commission, who in turn directed staff to implement this initiative. the port entered into an mou to implement the project here in november 2009, the commission authorize staff to execute a design contract in association with cruise terminal design consultant. we commenced our efforts, mind you, well after the possibility of hosting the america's cup was known, but the america's cup provided a tremendous opportunity to kick off a new cruise terminal plan, the creative thinking, we have crafted together an innovative plan that allows the port with your approval today to commence demolition of pier 27. in 2013, the facilities will be used by america's cup and serve as america's

a coalition of 30 trade unions has organized approximately 1,000 demonstrations and rallies across the country. the workers are protesting changes to their retirement plan. the cuts were made as part of an on-going budget cuts aimed at lowering the dunn's debt. the strike closed 75% of all public schools. prime minister david cameron says the changes are needed because people are living longer and retirements are costing the government too much. >>> occupy wall street protestors in washington, d.c. are planning to march 637 miles all the way to georgia starting today. the net demonstrators say they'll walk from the martin luther king memorial and end at his grave site in atlanta. the group has already marched from new york to washington. >> it is beginning to look a lot like christmas in new york city. mayor michael bloomberg and local businessmen lit the 74 foot tall tree at rockefeller center last night. neil diamond and the radio city rockettes performed at the annual ceremony. the rockefeller christmas tree which has 30,000 l.e.d. lights will be on display until january 7th. >> lov

trade unions say it is an attack on the social system.nment says the current system is unsustainable. the sales tax is also set to rise. but luxury tax is being introduced on expensive yachts. ♪ >> portugal, less funding for education. 10% less funding for education. the prime minister has announced cutbacks in health care and pensions, too. public-sector workers that earn more than 1000 euros a mother will have their 13th and 14th month's salaries cut. in protest, they carried a picture of the prime minister in a coffin through the nation's capital. public holidays will also be cut. ♪ >> higher taxes, less money for education, and job cuts. governments are no longer willing to rack up public debt like in previous years. >> spain is also one of the sick ones of europe. its economy is faltering and unemployment stands at over 20%. the newly elected prime minister is determined to steer the country's economy from the brink of another recession. cutting public spending is the order of the day, but many experts say that fiscal austerity is by

do you remember of former polish presidents less well and of course they had of the solidarity trade union he had a good economic advisor. and although he went down the liberal party to poland but poland was very different from the soviet union as an undivided country with a single religion. which was a guest in one of our shows most of all and so one sands never thought the transition from a pro socialist system wishbone town of the time even with the free agriculture in trade that this transition to the market economy would be such a painful process he said it was the same as trying to make a good fish soup with fish from your fish tank i could not put it better myself. thank you very much for being with us and just there reminded that my guest today was think that good i should go in the form of the soviet send back and the third. spotlight will be back with more until then they are to. take. that's.

close to where he grew up is the plutonium processing plant now closed where karen silkwood the trade union activist exposed cabot contamination and then died under fishy circumstances in one thousand nine hundred four under way to a meeting with the journalist even slightly farther away also in oklahoma you had the great historian edgey de bono who in the 1930's blew the whistle on how wealthy white lead donors had swindled the indians out of their lands and territories in oklahoma she was blacklisted by the state barred from teaching in the state and decades later she was rehabilitated it is now a hero and intellectual hero throughout the southwest thank you even if. i'm tired and you're out anywhere running out of time but thank you for weighing in on that with chase matt our. passion bradley manning well that does it for now for more on the stories we covered going r.t. dot com flash usa and check out our you tube page at the you tube dot com slash artsy america you can also follow me on twitter atlanta lall well see you right back here at seven o'clock but before that the ellen show is

close to where he grew up is the plutonium processing plant now closed where karen silkwood the trade union activist exposed cabot contamination and then died under fishy circumstances in one nine hundred seventy four under way to a meeting with the journalist even slightly farther away also in oklahoma you had the great historian edgy dobro who in the 1930's blew the whistle on how wealthy white led donors had swindled the indians out of their lands and territories in oklahoma she was blacklisted by the state barred from teaching in the state decades later she was rehabilitated it is now a hero and intellectual hero throughout the southwest even if. i'm starting to figure out where running out of time but they are weighing in on that that was mad are. the passion of bradley manning. well syria growing isolated under sanctions from arab states the us and e.u. the sanctions are response to syria's crackdown on anti-government protesters this crackdown has become increasingly violent over the last few days with some one hundred fifty protesters reportedly being killed over that time span this

action team joining us live there in our studios in washington we're now seeing trade unions picking up the occupy call what does this mean for the movement now. well i think it means a couple of things first of all i think it means that our message that the political and economic inequalities in this country are unacceptable is being accepted it's being accepted by the unions and i think they're ready to become a real force for justice in america in a way that they haven't been in decades i think it means that people are willing to work in solidarity with them and their. forces throughout america are becoming prepared to become a real vector for popular power in this country. the movement needs a bit of help there and support doesn't at the moment because we're seeing that the longstanding camps in los angeles and philadelphia being cleared by police some would say this is just the beginning of the end now. i think that's absolutely incorrect i think it's the end of the beginning really. but the fact is when these camps have been cleared people come right back if they can't get back

hijacked by a small ruling elite and just as the abolitionists the women's suffrage movement the trade union movement the civil rights movement is going to take a movement to correct the supreme court there you go and it's happening in many places but move to amend is one of the very best david thanks so much for being with us today thank you so much tom thanks for what you do my pleasure have a great evening america will never again be a truly constitutionally limited representative democratic republic until we extract to this cancer of corporate personhood from our body politic for more information as david said go to move to amend or. christmas came early for conservatives who hate government this week a new gallup poll came out showing sixty four percent of americans fear big government so needless to say g.o.p. t.v. a k. foxx so called news jumped on the story and plastered across the airwaves all day long fact i was invited on the fox business channel to talk about it and i actually agreed i fear big government to at least the sort of big government george w. bush and the republicans b

labor movement within occupy i compare this to say you know south africa to the huge south african trade union federation worked very closely with the african national congress and nelson mandela to defeat you know white power would defeat white control over south africa when the n.c. took power to represent its workers in and had a lot of disputes with mandela and the a.n.c. over issues central to workers like privatization but the union movement was respected within that political broader. contex and so that's where you think that you can see the difference between the type of people that make up the occupy movement and unions mean firm for the most part by movement originally started with a very young group of people a lot of whom are college educated just don't have a job right that can go and camp out in a park versus some of these union workers and these poor guys from yesterday who maybe need to put food on the table that night for dinner sure there's a big difference so i can't really talk for the movement here i didn't go to occupy wall street in new york when it was going on at the p

however, it only covers trade union workers in germany. 011 shaping up as the worst year on record for new home sales. 315,000 homes will be sold this year, fewer than half of the 700,000 needed to sustain a healthy housing market. there are 320,000 fewer new homes sold last year. and that is when they first began tracking sales, today a georgia woman is hoping her talents at decorating lights up a job prospect. her home looks normal, but a closer look reveals there is a resume. >> my job, hr job. i've had people stop telling me about positions they know of their company or another company. i've had a lot of messages and view autos she says she heard from people as far as italy. she's hoping it flies under the radar of her homeowners association. thanks for joining us for abc 7 news at 4:00. you can keep track on twitter and talk bit on facebook.com/abc 7 news. the news at 5:00 continues now. >> tonight a mad dash for doors. frenzied scenes today and big crowds come out for one item. >> a berkeley company bases a lawsuit by employee autos more freezing temperatures around the bay area

. >> shutting down the port we fact solidarity not only with trade unions under attack but with 89% of the working class that does not belong to a union. >> the international long shore and warehouse union supporting this shut down says this one will cause workers to lose wages. and it won't support a third party strike. >> in west oakland dozens of people occupy aid home in an attempt to prevent a foreclosure, 25 people camped outside of the town house, at times blocking the driveway a cording to some the protest reportedly forced a bank representative and a police escort to leave the scene. the group hung a manner reading "occupy our home". >> a man who climbed a tree during a occupy raid has come down, he perched himself in the tree wednesday night. the man refused to come down and stayed there until morning when he limed down because of health reasons. police arrested him for trespassing. authorities arrested 23 people during this raid. >> the a's got one foot in san jose. they're ready to leave oakland. warriors are exploring a possible move to san francisco in response, the oakla

relations which are already strong in fact in spite of the economic situation that trade goods between european union and russia this year had very very impressive results russia is you opinion inserted largest trading partner and european union is the first trading partner for four russian. let me take these occasions to tell you how pleased i am with the news coming today from from geneva in fact negotiations in geneva on the renewed government procurement agreement so-called g.p.a. were concluded successfully today between dupion union and the other parties on an updated set of ten the rules and additional market access commitments this agreement which russia will also be able to join after its accession is a significant contribution to the multilateral trading system which prove the relevance of the hero in particular in the current economic climate this will lead to more trade and i believe to benefit. all economies including of course europe's economy today semi it was also no question to discuss so we can go further i think we should bring our contract links to a new level which is commensurat

three trade unions reportedly organized the demonstration which choked the capital city center.rtation strike across the country adding to the mess. china. rescue workers racing to help a 3-year-old girl with her finger caught in an escalator at a shopping mall in eastern province. the team wound up removing part of the escalator's landing platform to help free the little girl. emergency workers rushed her to the hospital. no word on how the toddler got her finger trapped in the first place. that's a wrap on this fox trip around the world in 80 seconds. a trucker now has to pay a big fine for making a big sticky mess on parts of the pennsylvania turnpike. you may recall last week this thick black go stopped traffic and messed more than 450 cars and stretched across more than 40 miles of highway outside pittsburgh. today the guy hauling that driveway sealant in a tanker truck went before a judge who slapped the driver with a $1,000 fine because he didn't properly secure the load. well, after years of grim unemployment news, we're now hearing that many companies have thousands of

and then they came from the trade unions. i did not speak of it i did not be long for the trade union. then they came for me. by that time there is nobody left." when you recognize that the oppression and the oppressor that we face are the same people that want to take away the rights on every moment and all forms of justice then understand the idea of oppression. if that was too heavy for you, i will close with dodson. "hide your kids, hide your wife." i did not mean to make a light issue. they coming for you, homeboy. >> i'm a major public health education. i am not sure how familiar you would be not good terms of health care in that field. can you give any sort of a device to me as i am going through tax coupled with being be ally and being a feminist and being able to work with the public? >> part of the problem is our messaging saw. we do not have a tradition on our side. we have to come up with new ideas. we need a longer sound byte,] . we have to understand that we on the values as much as people who want to keep their

completely inverted, and it was the trade unions who were in effect running the country. arrived just after there had been something called the winter of discontent, where the 157 unions in the country had gone on strike one after the other, and often at the same time. so, during that winter of 1979, bodies did not go buried, the trains did not run, there was no heating, there was no electricity, there was no garbage collection. if you were sick, depending on which. you lived in, you might find yourself not accepted in the hospitals, or if you were not -- if you're accepted, your sheets were not changed or bring you not fed, and you might not receive the medicines needed because the truckers were on strike. in some cities, like one in the north of england, it was turned almost into a kind of stalingrad, a city under siege. no cargoes unloaded, rationing in stores, farm animals starved because the feed could not be transported. the country was in chaos. so, the first thing she did was immediate -- it took awhile -- she inverted the power of the unions and she stopped the u

coexistence a cohabitation of multilateral trade rules which are the sort of least common denominator to all our members are whether it's cambodia or the european union. all on top of that there are bilateral agreements. which europe japan china india. us have or which go farther than the degree which has been multilaterally accepted in the world trade organization so is this a good thing or a bad thing is a very good question very difficult question to answer in a way it's a good thing because it opens trade lol and after all our business being to open trade in old up to increase the potential of the way for economy is ease as well as served by a bilateral trade opening as it is by a multi outraged over opening so that's the good side if on the contrary a buyout through agreement leads to restrict trade not least for instance if you agree on regulatory standards which would be by that too and not multilateral and then it can be a problem so it's not all black or white them. depends very much on what their reasons are in these bilateral negotiations you know once russia has joined the world trade have shrunk my expectation is that russia like all the

tax increases and severe pension reforms haven't gone well with trade unions and some opposition parties here and italy's growth rate is expected to contract by 0.4% next year. with a threat of a full-blown recession. opinion on the streets of rome is divided. there are all signs for incumbent disaster this man says. and next year will be a lot worse. but others see some hope. if we manage to hold on and to make everybody pay, this man says, maybe we will make it. the tenth anniversary of the euro is only a few days away. and it's looking more like a tired old man than a near teenager heading for a growth spurt. allen pizzey, cbs news, rome. >>> here to tell us about what the euro troubles mean for the u.s. is alexis christoforous of cbs "moneywatch." good morning. >> good morning. >> translate some italian here for us, if you would. why should americans be concerned about italy's bonds? >> if this was two years ago we wouldn't be concerned talking about italian bond action but it's very important in this atmosphere. this is a litmus test of investment confidence. italy is the third larg

tax increases and severe pension reforms haven't gone down well with trade unions and opposition parties here and italy's growth rate is expected to contract by 0.4% next year with the threat of a full-blown recession. opinion on the streets of rome was divided. "their all the signs of incumbent disaster," he says. "next year will be a lot worse." but others see some hope. "if we manage to hold on and, most importantly, to make everybody pay," this man says "maybe we'll make it." the tenth anniversary of the euro is only a few days away and looking more like a tired old man than a teenager headed for a growth spurt. allen pizzey, cbs, roam. >>> alexis christoforous. why should americans be concerned about italy's bonds? >> look, if this was two years ago, we wouldn't be sitting here talking about an italian bond option but it is very important because this is a litmus test of investor confidence. look, italy is the third largest economy in europe. it is struggling right now under a mountain of debt and it's having this auction to try to raise some badly needed cash. if there is strong de

of magic dust on them and they turn into a delay rated loans you can sell to pension funds and trade unions and other victims around the globe and they're like yes. that sounds just like the guys on the street who sell product bags and gucci watches. how is that different from crime? there like you don't understand, it is economics, risk-management tool that creates liquidity. that is the phrase they use. it creates liquidity. your instinct is to say is run with a headline that says craziest shift imaginable like this can't really be happening. but like a lot of reporters, i was hesitant because most of us had never met any people from that world. none of us had any access to people like lloyd blankfein or jamie dimon. we didn't get to talk to them. even presidential candidates, most of us got to sit down and talk to these people but we don't have access to captains of finance. at least political reporters don't. and so we didn't really know how it worked so all of us were hesitant to make judgments about it. than the fact that the financial press was treating what happened as a grotesque a

this legislation because they want to see job creation, you've got all of the large building and trade unions supporting it as well. afl-cio, international brotherhood of teamsters, international bra brohood of electrical workers, labors international union of north america, united -- international union of operating engineers. quote, "it is america's workers who are clamoring for the expedited approval of this important project. we can't wait." mark ayres, building and construction trades department, afl-cio. quote, "the keystone pipeline will offer working men and women a chance to support their families in this difficult economic climate." james p. hoffa, international brotherhood of teamsters. at a time when jobs are the top priority, the keyston project will put thousands back to work and have ripple benefits throughout the north american economy. our members look forward to being part of this historic project and pledge to deliver the highest quality work to make it a success. president edwin d. hill, international brotherhood of electrical workers. and the list goes on. as i said, this

and they are out of trade within the customs union has grown by one third. and a common competition environment is growing within this. one free trade and the transit potential is it. has been years more fully and market players have been better opportunities to. to access international markets from january the first two thousand and twelve because that's what the single economic space that will open it . could be. and free motion of the services capitals and labor force that will be you. it should end but one thousand and fifteen will quit and your or your asian economic union which will largely determine the future of our countries of the me in the new year to you and as for e.u. states we have signed twenty three partnership agreements. and behind them our agreements on tens of specific projects of them we have activated our work with the european union with the aim of fully canceling the visa regime for russians. and after eighteen years of negotiations russia finally joined the w t o one conditions. on the that fully meets and consider.

cameron insisted that britain needs the european union, once to stay in the european union, once to be a good partner for trade. indeed, one-third of the british exports go into the european union. it would be, in this difficult economic time, it would be economic suicide, frankly, to leave the european union for britain. >> thank you so much. a strong britain inside of the european union. that is what the european monetary affairs commissioner wants to see. he says that it is unfortunate that britain has found itself in a position where it is not involved in the european union's economic decisions. >> for the sake of europe and its crisis, and for the sake of the british citizens and their perspectives, we want to swing at a constructive britain and europe. we want britain to be at the center of europe, not on the sidelines. >> well, the european union has certainly not seen the post- summit signals that they certainly wanted to see from the markets. that is an understatement. >> investors want so desperately to believe in the solution, but there is still way too much doubt out there. shares in europe and the

campbell. >> can the prime minister tell the house how many countries outside the european union have free trade agreements with the european union? >> there's a growing number. obviously, countries like mexico, now we got the korea free trade agreement. i'm keen to finalize the japan free trade agreement. i think effort should be made to have these treaties because they're good for both sides. >> can i pay tribute to the practical approach that the prime minister took to the negotiations at last week? and can i also say those practical obvious negotiations seem now to be supported by the leader of the opposition who they at the briefing say he would not sign the agreement the same way the prime minister did? >> either he has no control over his aides who are randomly briefing the press. [laughter] >> that is his position or he failed to el it the house that his, you know, minutes and minutes of intervention -- whether or not he would have signed -- look, you can -- if you want to sign it, then you can say i made the right decision. if you're not going to sign it then you have to accept i made t