Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to stand and support this motion, which:

… commends the Government for leading efforts to conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership 11 nation (TPP-11) agreement …

The TPP-11 agreement includes the nations of Canada, Mexico, Japan, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei.

What will this agreement achieve for the nation? Just last week the Minerals Council of Australia released modelling conducted for the Australian Information Industry Association that found:

Australian workers, jobs and business will benefit significantly from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11) trade agreement, with increased national income, exports, investment and wages …

The modelling was undertaken by the economists from the Brandeis International Business School and the Johns Hopkins University. It reinforces the real benefits of the TPP-11 to Australian businesses and jobs and our economy overall. It shows that Australia is forecast to see $15.6 billion in net annual benefits to national income by 2030, with an increase in exports by close to $30 billion. The analysis also forecasts a significant boost to investment by 2030 with investment into Australia projected to increase by $7.8 billion and additional overseas investment by Australian businesses increasing by $26 billion.

Further modelling was done by the respected Peterson Institute for International Economics. It found that the TPP-11 would boost Australia's national income by 0.5 per cent and boost exports by four per cent. The economic analysis by Grant Thornton concluded Australia's:

Inclusion in the TPP-11 will give Australia a competitive advantage in the Asia Pacific region.

That's what the coalition has done.

Let's contrast this to the opposition's policies involving the TPP-11. When the US decided that they would pull out of the original TPP agreement, the Labor Party said the deal was dead. They gave up on it. They ridiculed the government. The opposition leader said: 'It's dead. It's not going anywhere and everyone knows it, so why is the coalition not getting on with sorting out and protecting Australian jobs?' This is not the first time we've heard this rhetoric from the opposition. We heard it against the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. In fact, it's still up on Labor's website under the heading 'Bill's Opinion Pieces'. It says, 'free trade agreement with China threatens local job opportunities'.

What have we seen in local job opportunities under this coalition? Over one million new jobs have been created since the Abbott government was first elected. I can remember sitting in this chamber and hearing members on the other side when we said that over two terms of government there would be a million new jobs created in this economy. What did they do? They scoffed. They scoffed and they laughed. They said: 'A million new jobs? It's impossible.' But we have actually done that. A million new jobs have been delivered. The reason why those jobs have been delivered is that we on this side of the House understand that it is not government that creates jobs. It is the entrepreneurs in this society that get out there and take risks. That's why these free trade agreements are so important, because they create opportunity. They create market access. They support Australians who create great products and services to take their expertise and skills onto the international playing field and to give them the opportunity to compete.

That's why we have seen that million new jobs. Nothing shows more the great contrast between this side of the House and that side of the House. We believe in opportunities and free trade. The opposition doesn't. We see it in the results, in the employment numbers that come out on a monthly basis—a million new jobs, and there are many more to come.

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