Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator Hogg for the question. The issues in relation to the free trade agreement, what is to happen with labour and the negotiations are things that are ongoing in the discussions between the government and China. The China-Australia free trade agreement negotiations are still very much in the early stages. I can confirm that China has not made a request for access for unskilled labour in Australia, and both China and Australia are, as part of these negotiations—as you would expect—free to raise any issue of interest to them. No free trade agreement that Australia has made in the past, as Senator Hogg would be aware, has provided for the entry of unskilled workers to Australia. The government will be mindful, of course, during these negotiations, of the interests of Australian workers and the need to prevent exploitation of overseas workers. I am sure you would expect that to be precisely what we would do. There has been no agreement of the kind to which you allude, Senator Hogg, and there is no proposal that we would do so.