Senate debates
Monday, 17 November 2014
Questions without Notice
Trade with China
2:30 pm
John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Trade and Investment, Senator Cormann. The Australian today announced that Mr Abbott and the President of China will sign a memorandum of understanding on an Australia-China free trade agreement. This free trade agreement is likely to ensure that 85 per cent of Australian exports will enter China tariff free. The three per cent tariff on coking coal that China has imposed recently will possibly be removed and the Foreign Investment Review Board threshold for foreign investment by privately held Chinese firms will increase to over $1 billion. Can the minister outline what percentage of Chinese exports to Australia currently attract no Australian tariffs?
Andrew JACKSON
Posted on 18 Nov 2014 11:33 am
Senator Madigan should know better than to call the dictator in Beijing "President of China". The last legally elected President of China is in Taipei not Beijing. Even ex DLP Senators should know better than this.
He and all other members of Parliament who stayed to listen to the Chicom dictator deserve a kick up the pants. if
I recall Liberal MP Kevin Cairns (who had strong ties to the old DLP) walking out when House of Reps moved a condolence message to the Dictator Mao Tse Tung.
In my view he should have stayed demanded a vote and stood on his own voting NO to the Condolence.
The President of the CHICOM dictatorship has no place in a democratic parliament. SHame on the lot of you.
Andrew Jackson
apjackson@hotkey.net.au