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

Absolutely. Directly relevant to the question about our relations with Indonesia is the behaviour of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in seeking to create an impression that there was an understanding between the Indonesian government and the coalition about towing back boats. There is no such understanding and there was no such understanding. That has been completely denied at all relevant levels of the Indonesian government.

In relation to Korea, I think the Deputy Leader of the Opposition well knows that the two remaining issues there are in relation to the schedule for reducing the import tariff on beef and, secondly, investor state dispute settlement provisions. The Australian government does not agree with the insertion of investor-state dispute settlement procedures. I know from the public record that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has said that the opposition does agree, on a case-by-case basis. That means that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, if the coalition ever form government, would be quite willing to constrain the capacity of the Australian government to regulate, for example, coal-seam methane projects on farms in Australia.

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

So she may like to check with Senator Barnaby Joyce and other National party members whether they in fact agree with being constrained in environmental regulation and health regulation, such as the plain packaging of cigarettes. The coalition said they supported the government's plain packaging measures, but they would implement investor-state dispute settlement provisions that will hobble the Australian government's attempts—

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

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