Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wright. As one of the whips for the coalition, he was here anyway, but he does have a legitimate interest in these issues. I have been disappointed with the turnout from coalition MPs at what is normally a good opportunity for the opposition to ask questions. I do acknowledge that the member for Aston is here. My counterpart is not, but this would not be the first time I have missed out on a question from my counterpart, because I never have, in fact, had one.

On the live cattle trade to Indonesia, the Australian people were overwhelmingly shocked at the images on the Four Corners program. The Australian government moved quickly to deal with the animal welfare issues, and that is what they are: animal welfare issues. We are very supportive of the Indonesian government and of our friends in Indonesia, and we are handling this issue with that very much in mind.

So there was a suspension. Our authorities are now working together with a view to identifying at least some of those processing facilities that can achieve, or be confirmed to be at, international standards. Once we are able to do that and, importantly, once we have a tracking system to ensure that it is the Australian-origin cattle which are processed through those facilities, then we will have a basis for resuming the trade. A wider review has been announced, and this confirms that this in no way is intended to single out Indonesia, only that that is where the evidence is to date. If further evidence comes to light in terms of animal welfare issues then the Australian government would need to consider what action it would take.

We understand that this is an important and viable business for cattle stations and those employed in and around them, particularly in Northern Australia. It is not, by international standards, a big journey from Northern Australia to Indonesia, and the process there has been that the cattle are grown in Northern Australia, then exported live to Indonesia, where there is further fattening that occurs in feedlots. We have already been working with the Indonesian government on technical cooperation on animal husbandry, to improve the productivity of the Indonesian side of the operations. This is part of the overall philosophy in the comprehensive economic partnership agreement with Indonesia which we are currently negotiating. My Indonesian counterpart and others whom I have met in Indonesia have pointed out that a comprehensive economic partnership means what it says—this is not just a trade deal that we are seeking to negotiate with Indonesia; it is also a deal to ensure that the Indonesian people at large will benefit from the sort of technical support that we are able to provide.

Finally, on the issue of mineral exports, I am not a soothsayer, a mineral export price forecaster. I think there is an understanding that we are now, in terms of mineral prices, on a sustained basis at the highest levels in around 140 years, which takes us back to the gold rush ages in Australia. But more production will come on board. We know that it is happening internationally, but we also know it is happening in a very big way here in Australia. So when we hear prophesies about carbon pricing and about a mineral resource rent tax, I would urge all members simply to have a look at the figures on how much extra investment is being committed into mineral development in this country, because we are a good mineral rich country with a stable, robust democracy. We are close to the important markets: here is Australia, in the Asian region, in the Asian century. So the future for mineral development in this country is a very bright one indeed as we integrate our economy, following the same philosophy that I talked about when I opened, the Hawke-Keating philosophy of an open, competitive economy placing Australia in the Asian region in the Asian century. That is what is happening and that is why we are getting such good dividends out of it.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

Debate interrupted.

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