Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister advise the House on the importance of strong leadership in dealing with international security issues? Is the minister aware of any alternative approach that would jeopardise Australia's international relationships?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moore for his question. Australia's national interest is best served by developing strong relationships with our major partners and allies—particularly on the economic front, because that also underpins our strategic and security interests. The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement is a case in point. It has great economic benefits for Australia, but it also has strategic benefits as we deepen our relationship with China.

The Leader of the Opposition's hypocrisy and his troubled relationship with the truth are well known to this chamber and beyond, no more so than in the case of the China free trade agreement. Members will recall that the Leader of the Opposition endorsed a disgraceful, dishonest, xenophobic, anti-China campaign run by the union movement to destroy the China free trade agreement. Indeed, the lies and dishonesty in this anti-China free trade agreement campaign was so profound that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had to put out a fact sheet pointing out the falsity of the claims made by the unions that were backed by the Leader of the Opposition. The claim that there would be unrestricted importation of Chinese workers: false. The claim that there would be unskilled Chinese electricians on Australian worksites: all of this was false.

Not content with risking the relationship in this way—and it was denounced by no less than Bob Hawke, who said it threatened the relationship with China—we then had the Leader of the Opposition's incoherent, incomprehensible strategies on the South China Sea. Again, he was risking our relationship. Then, of course, he endorsed the behaviour of Senator Dastyari and his cash-for-policy behaviour.

I do give credit to the Leader of the Opposition. It appears that he wants to make amends. Apparently, he has appointed a special envoy to rebuild the relationship with China. So off went the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Don Farrell, last night to a major diplomatic event in Canberra. All the diplomatic heavies were there—the ambassadors and the high commissioners. Up stood Senator Don Farrell on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, and he toasted to the China-Australia relationship. The problem was he was in the Japanese embassy. The problem was it was an event to honour the Japanese emperor's birthday. That is called a major breach of protocol. Might I suggest that the Leader of the Opposition spend the Christmas holidays on a global apology tour.