Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry, representing the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Will the minister update the House on how the government's ambitious trade agenda is supporting Australian exporters? What are the risks and what is at stake for Australian exporters if this partnership is not honoured?

Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dunkley for his question. Like everyone on this side of the chamber, he is another strong advocate and passionate advocate for the benefits that flow to Australia's small and medium enterprises as a consequence of the most ambitious trade agenda in Australia's history. The Liberal and National government have a strong track record of delivering market-opening trade deals for Australia's small and medium-sized enterprises. We did it under Minister Robb, we did it under my ministership and we are doing it now under Senator Simon Birmingham. All of this is geared towards making sure that we open up market export opportunities for Australia's small to medium-sized enterprises, because we know that that's critical for driving economic growth and for driving jobs.

The record of delivery of the coalition includes opening up export market deals in China, Japan, Korea and Singapore; the work that we've done now to conclude Indonesia; the work we've done with Peru; and the new opportunities that will be opening shortly with the European Union and with the UK. All of this is centred on making sure that the primary goal of this government of driving a strong Australian economy and creating jobs for Australians is delivered upon. We will continue to do that. We will continue to do it because we know that in order to keep the Australian economy strong, in order to ensure that Australians have the best chance of getting a job, and in order to make sure that there is more opportunity for Australian businesses to get out there and employ more Australians, we must open these market opportunities for Australian SMEs. Our track order record, as I said, is very strong.

I want to put some contrasts though. One of the biggest deals that this government was able to put in place was the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, or the TPP-11. We pursued that when the Australian Labor Party said it was a vanity project and that the Liberal-National government should walk away. This is the problem with Labor. Labor's policy approach when it comes to trade is to get the big trade calls wrong. They get them wrong consistently. We saw it on the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement and we see it now on the TPP-11.

The fact is that the Australian Labor Party are very divided when it comes to trade policy. Half of the Australian Labor Party claim they are acting in the interests of Australian workers and turning their backs on Australia's small to medium-sized enterprises, and there are other businesses who are actually recognising that, for us to do this deal, we've got to have the Australian Labor Party on board. We need the Australian Labor Party to stay firm, to hold the course, to remain on the side of Australian small businesses, so that they can have certainty that Labor will not squib it when it comes to trade deals— (Time expired)