Peter Hendy (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. Will the minister outline to the House why it is important that the government's landmark free trade agreement with China comes into force by the end of this year?

Mr Danby interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Melbourne Ports is warned.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade and Investment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question and for his very strong efforts to inform the benefits of freer trade to businesses in his electorate. Of course, with his experience, the member fully understands the critical role that the trifecta of free trade agreements are playing, and will play, in delivering jobs in the post-mining-boom period.

Ms Chesters interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bendigo will cease interjecting.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade and Investment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is working hard to ensure this agreement takes effect and enters into force later this year, because we will see a double whammy of tariff cuts for our exporters—one before the end of the year and one in the first week of January 2016. This will result in, literally, hundreds of millions of dollars of extra benefit to businesses across Australia.

If the FTA is delayed beyond this year or worse, the cost will be absolutely enormous. The NFF advises that delay will cost rural communities about $300 million next year alone. Upon failure to ratify, the red-meat industry will see a cost of $100 million; dairy, $80 million; wine, $50 million; and grains, more than $43 million.

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Charlton is warned.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade and Investment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coal industry says that every week of delay will cost it about $4.6 million in extra tariff payments on thermal and coking coal. The Financial Services Council warns that if ChAFTA is stopped it will cost our economy more than $4 billion and 10,000 jobs in that sector alone by 2030—to answer those opposite. A new collective of New South Wales oyster farmers from Australia's oyster coast are in China at the present time exploring further export opportunities off the back of the 14 per cent tariff elimination to be delivered by the China FTA.

The stakes are very, very high for these businesses in this member's electorate and many others. ChAFTA will create tens of thousands of jobs in the years ahead. Yet, in an act of what can only be described as economic sabotage, the most militant elements of the union movement are trying to stop this agreement from coming into force by running a brutal, dishonest, anti-Chinese campaign. Clearly, it is designed to distract from the daily reports of the corruption in these unions. Let me see what was in the paper today. The next instalment: Brian Parker, the top construction union official in New South Wales, allegedly told a project manager at a school building that—

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. On both relevance and your previous ruling regarding the royal commission, this cannot possibly be relevant to the question.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the minister to stick to the policy content of the question, and I will listen very carefully in the last 25 seconds.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade and Investment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have. This top CFMEU official, who is saying that illegal immigrant workers—Chinese—are on building sites, is now facing cases before the courts, along with the union itself—because they are lying in this situation— (Time expired)