Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

Well, you cut them short on that, didn’t you? The member for Hotham gives me the opportunity to raise an issue where he travelled Australia promising exporters that he would increase the EMDG Scheme to $200 million, but only in one year. He forgot to tell the exporters that it would only be for one year. All he was able to negotiate, for all of his efforts when he went to see the Treasurer, was an extra $50 million for next year and $50 million extra for the following year but not for the two years after that. More rhetoric, no delivery. And even though exporters will be glad today to see new opportunities open up, they must be forgiven for being a little more hesitant about what the future will hold for them.

This government can only ride on the coat-tails of the previous government for so long. And so far the signs of what else the Labor government has to offer are quite disheartening. The only contribution that this government has made to forging ahead with a new FTA opportunity has been to slash the negotiation budgets for agreements with China and Japan and send mixed messages on exactly where Australia stands when it comes to bilateral agreements.

Labor has ever been trumpeting its plan to fold Invest Australia into Austrade, showing a complete lack of understanding about its role in generating increased investment and jobs in Australia. As the minister for Invest Australia in the previous government, I can only say what a fantastic job they did. All of that is gone and 100 people have lost their jobs. Time is ticking away and the patience of Australian exporters and businesses is running thin. Soon this government will have to offer more than perennial reviews and fudged policies and trying to trumpet the work that was done for them by others.

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