Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to take a few moments to comment on the Customs Amendment (China-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation) Bill 2015 and cognate bill. To me, this is one of the most memorable bills I can remember coming through this place in almost eight years. It is something that has been spoken about for some time. It is something the people in the electorate of Parkes have been looking forward to for some time.

The electorate of Parkes is an export oriented electorate, with a large amount of agriculture, produce and minerals coming from the area. I know it has been a great frustration to producers in my electorate that the great market to the north was somewhat impeded by tariffs. In the last few years, New Zealand particularly has had an advantage because of their free trade agreement. We have things like a reduction on beef of between 12 and 25 per cent within nine years, 12 to 23 per cent on sheep meat within eight years, frozen sheep meat offal is to be reduced within seven years, and, as well, there are the hides and skins. The dairy at Dubbo is doing great work in trying to grow a market into China. They and all of the others will welcome this agreement. Businesses like Fletcher International abattoir at Dubbo, which produces a large amount of sheep meet that goes to China, will now be able to compete on a level playing field with our cousins over the ditch in New Zealand. That is going to be of great benefit to the people of western New South Wales.

Coupled with the free trade agreements with South Korea and Japan, and the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership, at last we are starting to see trade liberalisation on a scale that will put Australia at the centre of the large markets in our region and around the Pacific. To Australia, as an export oriented country, and to the export oriented area I come from, that is a good thing. The world has become a smaller place. In my electorate we now have farmers harvesting grain and marketing it on their smartphones as they are sitting in their headers. The world has become a much smaller place, and these free trade agreements, and this one in particular, will help us to cope with that.

I think the next challenge will be an agreement with India, a large emerging market to our north, a country that is growing and pulling itself out of poverty. They will have a need for access to the produce we grow and they will be looking for markets for things they manufacture. This is a significant milestone. It is a great tribute to many people. The final hurdle was overcome by Trade Minister Andrew Robb. I have great admiration for Andrew Robb. I think he has done a great job. Also, I congratulate the opposition for their agreement. I was disappointed to see the union campaign on the labour access issue. I believe that those concerns can now be put to bed. Australian workers can feel comfortable that their jobs are not at risk and that the upside of this is that it will lead to more employment and opportunities for the Australian people. I commend the bill to the House.

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