Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

But what is really exciting for us is our creative economy. Western Australia is the exemplar. We boast talented designers, architects and fashion designers, and graphic and industrial expertise. We have engineers, those in the IT industry and researchers. They all have new and enhanced opportunities to sell their services into China. We have among the most innovative and creative and entrepreneurial talent in the world, and now they are being given access to one of the largest markets in the world.

What I cannot understand is why Labor is doing everything it can to prevent Western Australians and Australians from reaping the benefit of this free trade agreement. The Leader of the Opposition is showing that he puts the interests of the union bosses ahead of the interests of Western Australian workers. His readiness to sell down Western Australia's future economic prosperity should send a shiver down the spine of every Western Australian worker whose job depends on selling goods and services to our North Asian partners. It is time for Labor to back the jobs of Western Australians—back the free trade agreement.

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