Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Acting Prime Minister. Will the Acting Prime Minister inform the House of how the Morrison-McCormack government's free trade agreements are supporting the economic recovery in regional Australia?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the member for Flynn. It's 10 out of 10 for what happened at No. 10—Downing Street, that is. Today is another historic day in our trading nation's history. We are a trading nation. We know that trade equals jobs and more trade equals more jobs.

Indeed, I'm very delighted to inform the House of the new free trade agreement agreed to by the Prime Minister of Australia and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement is not a deal at any cost. It's the right deal for Australia. It's the right deal for the UK. It's a two-way partnership between two great nations and longstanding friends. It's a $36.7 billion arrangement, which is about to get a whole lot bigger and a whole lot larger. This FTA will have a significant benefit for Australia and particularly, especially, notably for Australian farmers. We should all be very proud of Australian farmers. They are the best in the world—make no mistake—and, because of them, we can have the confidence to negotiate strong trade arrangements with the UK and with any other nation. Our farmers and our food producers will get greater access to the 68 million customers—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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

The member for Moreton will leave under standing order 94(a).

The member for Moreton then left the chamber.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australian products, such as beef from the member for Flynn's electorate, as well as wine, rice, sheep meat, cheese, sugar and a range of other commodities will have greater access to the lucrative UK market.

Australia, as I say, has always been a trading nation. We produce substantially more food than we can consume domestically. Australia presently has 15 FTAs in force. Nine of those FTAs have come into being since 2013, and we've a further eight FTAs under negotiation or about to commence. I say, 'Well done,' to the trade minister for what he has been able to do—along with the Prime Minister and a whole host of other ministers and government departmental officials—to clinch this historic deal.

An opposition member interjecting—

Yes, Dave, the minister for agriculture! What a great job he's doing! His electorate of Maranoa, as large it as it is, is going to benefit, along with the electorate of the member for Flynn and every other regional member. Indeed, every one of the 151 members who sit in this House is going to benefit from the Australia-UK FTA. This financial year, $47 billion worth of our agricultural products will be exported around the world, and that's to get a whole lot bigger, right now, thanks to this deal.