Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to speak today on the Customs Amendment (China-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation) Bill 2015 and related bill. I believe it is a fantastic day for Australia because we have come to an agreement with our biggest trading partner: China. Australia exported $108 billion in goods to China in 2013-14 and we imported less than half, about $52 billion, in the same year. The trade agreement will assist with future jobs and growth in all sectors. This agreement will have outstanding benefits for people in Australia, including people in Flynn. As you know, we are a bit of a powerhouse when it comes to a lot of these export products, through Gladstone port. It is a godsend for our agriculture industry. China buys more of our agriculture produce than any other country. There are markets worth over $8 billion in agriculture and farming. It is a very broad sector in Central Queensland and there will be big advantages for our farmers.

The President of the Australian National Farmers Federation, Brent Finlay, said the peak farm body is relieved that politics have been put aside in the interests of Australia's economic future. He went on to say, 'This agreement is a game-changer for Australian agriculture.' With that backdrop, in Central Queensland we can look forward to tariffs being eliminated on barley and sorghum. Beef exports tariffs of 12 to 25 per cent will be totally eliminated over the next nine years. Dairy tariffs up to 20 per cent will be eliminated in four to 11 years. There will be rapid tariff reductions on seafood, sheep meat, pork and horticulture, including macadamia nuts. It is certainly good news for my electorate, especially primary producers in the Central Highlands and the citrus growers in North Burnett and Wallaville.

Industry in Gladstone will benefit because China is our largest market for resources and energy products. Last year, Australia exported more than $80 billion worth of resources, energy and manufactured products to China. The FTA will immediately see 92.9 per cent of these products enter China duty-free. Most remaining tariffs will be removed after four years. When the FTA is fully implemented, 99.9 per cent of our resources, energy and manufacturing products will enter China duty-free. Coal, a big export product from my electorate, has a tariff on it and that will be reduced. There is a tariff on coking coal that will be reduced over a three-year term, along with the tariff on thermal coal.

I would like to congratulate several people, but most of all Minister Andrew Robb for his role in securing benefits for Australia under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. This has been worked on over many years. I would also like to thank Senator Penny Wong and past ministers from the Labor government, Simon Crean and Martin Ferguson. There was good support from Bob Carr and, of course, Bob Hawke. I congratulate everyone involved in this free trade agreement. I look forward to seeing the effects of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement as businesses in my electorate make use of the improved trading conditions. It does not stop with the signing of the agreements. They still need to be worked on, but the groundwork is done for us to succeed and reap value from this free trade agreement. I commend the bill to the House.

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