Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade, representing the Minister for Resources and Energy and Minister for Tourism. Will the minister advise the House on the sale of Gorgon liquefied natural gas to China? What are the trade and economic benefits flowing from this deal?

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not the same question again, Simon!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bowman is warned.

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. Obviously, the benefits from this deal are huge—huge not just for Western Australia but huge for the nation. The other side does not want to hear about this. This is the problem with them. They would prefer to have a circumstance in which they are talking the economy down rather than welcoming the single biggest trade deal in Australia’s history. That is what we are recognising today: $50 billion in sales on top of $25 billion that was announced recently for India. These two deals obviously bring the Gorgon project a lot closer to completion. There are, of course, processes that have to be completed, but the government’s decision the other day to support the sequestration measures have been a significant factor in this, too. The Gorgon project as a whole is worth $300 billion in sales over the next 20 years. So this is huge. The project itself will be 6,000 jobs.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do you want to hear about this or do you just want to cackle away from the side? There will be 6,000 jobs at the peak of construction and 3½ thousand direct and indirect jobs in addition, because there is $33 billion in purchases of Australian goods and services going into the inputs of this exercise. Revenues to the Commonwealth budget alone will be $40 billion over the course of the next 20 years. We are hearing questions all the time about where the money is coming from and when we are going to move back into surplus. Just have a look at the impact of this single deal—the single biggest trade deal in Australia’s history. But, more than that, what this deal does—

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Haase interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kalgoorlie!

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, a lot of people deserve credit for this—

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Haase interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kalgoorlie!

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

but I think we on this side of the House—

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Haase interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kalgoorlie! The Minister for Trade will resume his seat. It would be better for the House if you chose voluntarily to go because I do not think that somebody trying me on just for one hour shows a concern about the level of the punishment. I warn the member for Kalgoorlie. Regrettably, that then means that he has to transgress before any action can be taken. I think the problem is that people see the use of the one hour as not being something that they should see as a badge of dishonour but as a badge of honour. I regret that that is the way it has developed.

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kalgoorlie on a point of order.

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I will gladly leave this place on the basis that I am sick of hearing this government pontificate about their creation of the wealth of the west.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I name the member for Kalgoorlie.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the member for Kalgoorlie be suspended from the service of the House.

Question put.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Kalgoorlie is suspended from the service of the House for 24 hours.

The member for Kalgoorlie then left the chamber.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Tuckey interjecting

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was going on to say before I was rudely interrupted, not only is this a significant deal in terms of the development itself; it is a significant statement about our relationship with China. This is a relationship that those on the other side either talk down or, as we have seen here today, try to shout down. Then we saw the most unedifying spectacle of the lot: the member for O’Connor barking instructions to walk out in front of his leader, and his leader copping it. What sort of discipline are you leading? What sort of rabble are you in charge of?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Surely there is no better example of an answer not being relevant to the question than the Minister for Trade going off on a run in the park on his own on a subject that has nothing to do with the question that he was just asked.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Trade will respond to the question through the chair.

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to continue to respond, because—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know whether those members who walked out have been called back in or shamed back in.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will not be distracted or provoked.

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This deal entrenches and underpins the significance of the relationship between Australia and China—something we have been proud to promote, unlike those on the other side. We have to understand the fundamental interdependency between China’s and Australia’s economies. It is vital to the future development of both economies. It is something that we should never be afraid of. It is something that we should be proud to advance, and we should stand tall in terms of what we have to offer. This deal today shows what we have to offer. This deal today shows a government that is prepared to do what is necessary to support the realisation of the potential of our resource base. We recognise what Western Australia has had to do but, without the decisions this government took, this would not have happened.