Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to discuss the vital importance of international trade—particularly with our close ally Singapore—to Capricornia. Capricornia, in Central Queensland, holds a diverse and strong economy based on primary and mineral production. We are in many ways the backbone of Queensland's economy, providing billions of dollars in GDP and royalties each year, while generating the vast majority of the state's—and indeed the nation's—energy needs and growing high-quality food for customers the world over. Central Queensland is an absolute engine room, and we want to keep it that way.

While it is all very well and good to have a great product, it is equally important to be able to sell it. As a National within this coalition government, I am proud of what we are achieving in the sphere of trade. Liberalised trade has underpinned Australia's 26 years of continuous economic growth. Our free trade agreements are generating new opportunities for local businesses and creating jobs, something I am very passionate about. While Central Queensland is such an economic powerhouse, we are doing it tough at the moment. Since the end of the most recent mining construction boom, we've seen property prices fall, businesses go to the wall and many of the good, reliable jobs disappear. It is vital now, more than ever, that we continue to grow and develop our export markets so we can address this downturn in one industry with gains in another.

In 2015 the prime ministers of Australia and Singapore signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, CSP, to further integrate our economies, militaries, institutions and people. The CSP is broad-ranging in its scope and brings benefits to Australia across a range of sectors and throughout the country, including rural and regional Australia. Investment from Singapore has the potential to help unlock opportunities in Australia's north. Northern Australian communities like Rockhampton, Sarina and Clermont stand ready to be the beneficiaries of stronger trade, tourism and investment links with Singapore.

The Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement is a massive economic asset in a broader national sense, particularly for Central Queenslanders. Central Queenslanders understand trade and realise just how important it is to have open trade with our Asian neighbours like Singapore. Singapore and Australia are such natural partners, sharing centuries of history together both as part of the British Empire and as two countries committed to free trade and open markets. Singapore is in many ways a doorway to Asia, a real key trade market through which so much of South-East Asian economies rely. In 2016, two-way trade between Australia and Singapore amounted to $23 billion. Singapore is our largest trading partner in ASEAN and the seventh largest overall. The free trade agreement with Singapore promises to boost competition for Australian exporters by addressing behind-the-border barriers, delivering new access and greater certainty to service suppliers.

Central Queenslanders, perhaps more than most Australians, are well aware of our close relationship with Singapore as we play host to thousands of Singaporean military personnel each year. Exercise Wallaby is on the Shoalwater Bay military training grounds in my electorate of Capricornia. As we speak, roughly 4,000 Singaporean troops, airmen and seamen are joining Australian troops for vital training, war games and live-firing operations. This exercise provides a welcome boost to the local economies of cities and towns like Rockhampton and Yeppoon, particularly for businesses in transport and logistics, accommodation, retail, dining and entertainment.

The Singaporean influence cannot be underestimated in our community and is undoubtedly another string to the bow of Central Queensland's economy. This benefit is set to become a real game changer for our region, as Singapore is set to dramatically increase its presence. Under the plan, Singapore will not only more than triple the number of personnel they send to Australia but also expand the time for which they will be here. Singapore is also investing $2 billion into improving the training, infrastructure and prioritising local businesses for the works at two training sites in Queensland, one of which is Shoalwater Bay. This will mean roughly a $1 billion investment in training infrastructure that will remain Australian, and will do what I am absolutely committed to—that is, creating jobs.

The amendments tabled for this free trade agreement are an important addition to what has been a monumentally beneficial agreement between two of the region's great nation's since its acceptance under the Howard government in 2003. Moving forward, a greater range of Australian businesses will be able to utilise SAFTA to better tap into the Singapore market. These amendments place an emphasis on our burgeoning services industries, a sector easily overlooked when it comes to international export but one with significant export appeal. New opportunities for education as an export exist through increased recognition of tertiary qualifications obtained at Australian universities in law, medicine and allied health—again, excellent news for Central Queenslanders studying through one of the country's finest education facilities and its largest external study university, CQ University. These changes will allow local universities to be far more competitive in the global market for education. I firmly believe education is one of the great opportunities for our economy as the growing middle class of South-East Asia looks for educational products to help deliver their children the edge in life they need to succeed in the modern world. The process will also make it easier for our great Australian universities like CQ University to set up campus in Singapore. Up until now, they've not been able to call themselves a university.

The opportunity for Australian companies to tender for valuable procurement contracts with the Singapore government is an exciting opportunity, particularly for the myriad of Central Queensland businesses with skills transferrable across the globe. This increased opportunity, teamed with a marked reduction in red tape, should see relationships, and therefore trade, between our two great countries continue to grow well into the future. Red-tape reduction will come in many forms, especially with regards to certifying origin. Exporters will be able to self-certify, rather than paying through the nose for a third-party certifier to tell them what they already know.

Another key aspect of the amendments deals with international business travel. An enormous number of Australians travel to Singapore for business for varying reasons—some for a day, some for a month and others end up making their lives there—and the same can be said for many Singaporeans in Australia. It is vitally important where we have such high numbers of expats from each country that we have guaranteed access for Australians to work and stay in Singapore, while keeping security and safety paramount. As far as Central Queensland is concerned, the stronger our ties with Singapore, the better. We see so much benefit from our already strong relationship that more can only be a good thing.

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