Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I know it is very unusual, Assistant Treasurer, for those opposite to spread mistruths! But, in this case, they are. The coalition government is not the only organisation investing in Northern Australia. Private enterprise is flourishing under this 'open for business' government. New industrial and commercial areas are springing up throughout the Top End.

Perhaps the best example of this is the beef industry. After Labor's disastrous knee-jerk decision to ban live animal export, the Territory's cattle industry was absolutely crippled. Many farmers and agribusinesses were bankrupted. There were some terrible stories which I know you, Deputy Speaker Scott, are aware of.

However, just south of Darwin, the Australian Agricultural Company has invested $90 million in a new beef-processing facility. I, along with the Prime Minister, was delighted to attend the opening of this facility just a few weeks ago.

Compare and contrast: under Labor, an entire industry and a sizeable chunk of the Northern Territory economy was deliberately crippled in one fell swoop. Now, 18 months into a coalition government, we have a diversified industry: live cattle and boxed beef, attracting major investment. So what has changed? The government. Under the coalition, stability has returned. Free trade agreements with Korea, Japan and China are opening up economic opportunity for Australian businesses. This means that our agricultural, mining and service industries in the Top End now have access to huge new markets.

The China free trade agreement alone will drop or eliminate tariffs on exported products, including live animals, beef, hides, skins and leather. This agreement will give Australian exporters unprecedented levels of market access to the world's second largest economy, with a population of 1.36 billion and a rapidly growing middle class. This will mean greater economic growth, more jobs and higher living standards for those households across the country but particularly those in Darwin and Palmerston.

Free trade agreements will provide a range of new opportunities for our service providers—everything from legal services, financial services, education, tourism, agriculture, architecture, urban planning and transport, and many more.

In summary, the people of the Top End bore the brunt of Labor's incompetence. It is a great honour to stand here as part of the coalition government to report that things are getting better. Job creation is running at three times the rate it was under Labor. Job ads growth is currently at 13.6 per cent so that is 585 jobs a day.

The Australian Stock Exchange is sitting at a six-year high. Thousands of pages of unnecessary red tape have been slashed. The carbon tax is gone, the mining tax is gone and the boats have stopped. (Time expired)

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