Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise with pleasure to speak on the Customs Amendment (China-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation) Bill 2015 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (China-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation) Bill 2015. These bills and this agreement build this nation's opportunities for the future. I hear all the fear factors that have been put forward by the opposition on this free trade agreement, yet where were their concerns when they were developing free trade agreements in the six years that they were in government? Where was their opposition to the free trade agreements that were brought to fruition by this coalition government? The rules and the opportunities are exactly the same. One could argue that their opposition has been somewhat xenophobic, yet this same Labor opposition much heralds Gough Whitlam's approach to China many years ago with Mao Zedong in opening up opportunities for Australia.

We should not fear this free trade agreement; we should seize the opportunity with both hands. We need to make the most of this opportunity because, clearly and abundantly, if we do not, others will. China is the fastest-growing economy in the world. As people transition from low incomes through middle incomes to high incomes in China, their demands will only increase. We in Australia have the opportunity to supply those markets. The demand for clean, green food in particular is rising at an exponential rate each and every day. This agreement opens up further opportunity for Australian agricultural industries. I want to point out one in particular. We have all seen the news reports of Chinese families here amassing large amounts of baby formula and exporting it to China in the post. Under this free trade agreement, the tariff on infant formula will go from 15 per cent down to four per cent. That means that Australian companies will be able to process infant formula, which is great for our dairy industries, and have a better opportunity to export it into China. The demand for clean, green produce is high and Australia has the opportunity.

Some in this House talk about how bad this will be. They should understand that Australia is an export market. If we wanted to no longer trade and to shut down our borders, what would we do with all the surplus agriculture, in particular, in Australia? I think we export in total around 85 per cent of our agricultural product, and the opportunity to do more is great. Another plus side, in particular for the Hunter Valley, is not just the reductions of tariffs on coal, on wine and on dairy and beef but also services technologies that support those industries. This will create increased job growth in my region of the Hunter Valley. As I say, we are not all about coal exports; we are about technology and services exports as well.

There are two other areas I want to raise quickly. No. 1 is education. The opportunities to grow the education sector to China are massive. Already it is worth around $4 billion per annum. Chinese students make up our greatest proportion of students in Australia, and we can do more. Not only that; our educational facilities will have the opportunity to set up more in China and have a direct relationship with those communities. And it is not all about the tier 1 markets of the Beijings, the Guangzhous and the Shanghais; the tier 2 and tier 3 markets in China are also important. The opportunity for tourism growth into China is one of our rapidly-growing opportunities. When I was in opposition, I helped write the coalition policy on tourism, which we are now working with.

This is a fantastic opportunity. Carpe diem—seize the moment. We can be ahead of the curve—ahead of other countries. We can seize these opportunities and we will grow jobs here in Australia and grow our trade, and that is great for the economy of this nation. Do not fear the opportunity; seize the opportunity. Let's work together because we need Chinese product coming into Australia. Just as they need our coal, our aluminium, our iron ore, our wine and our food, we need their products too. This is a symbiotic relationship—a relaxation of tariffs to each country—because it is a two-way trading arrangement; it is not a one-way trade arrangement. There are great opportunities and great economic benefits. I encourage all Australians, and in particular Australian businesses, to seize the opportunities and make the most of them—because, if we do not, other countries will, and that would be a loss and to the detriment of this great nation.

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