Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to talk to the Australian parliament about the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the South Korea Free Trade Agreement and the Japan Free Trade Agreement. All these agreements have been very welcomed by the agricultural producers across the electorate of Mallee. We know in the electorate of Mallee that we can produce some of the best fruit and vegetables that can be produced anywhere in the world, and we welcome the opportunity that presents itself through a free trade agreement. We are also very conscious that this opportunity must make its way into reality by delivering good financial policy, good roads and good employment services so that we can make sure that we have got people to capitalise on the opportunities of the free trade agreements.

One of the things in these free trade agreements which I am very proud of is that we have made provision within them to lower the limit for agricultural land purchases from $248 million to $15 million. I look forward to being part of a government that brings this to fruition. We must have a register of land ownership for Australian agricultural land. We must lower that threshold to $15 million. We must broaden the skill set of the Foreign Investment Review Board so that they have a passion for making sure that Australians can sell their product, instead of selling the farm, and we must increase compliance and prosecutions for those who seek to step outside that. A good agreement, a good export opportunity and Australians being able to capitalise on that agreement instead of selling our land is what this government is committed to delivering.