Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Hansard source

These matters relate to concerns that were raised at a Senate inquiry by a number of submitters, including the AWU, the AMWU, the CFMEU and a large number of industry employers, including the Manufacturers' Trade Alliance. It was put to the committee that the proposed changes added an additional layer of complexity and appeared to impose an additional burden on industry and the Anti-Dumping Commission to validate government payments. If these concerns are legitimate, these changes have the potential to weaken the regime, not strengthen it. Labor believes that these concerns should be dealt with by the International Trade Remedies Forum. Senator Xenophon's amendment has the effect of taking these concerns offline so that they can be dealt with under arrangements currently in place. The minister's claim that there were somehow or other changes in the WTO definition does not bear close scrutiny. There was no evidence presented to support that claim. In fact, Minister Macfarlane, in his second reading speech in the House of Representatives, stated:

Australia's current regime for combatting injurious dumping and subsidisation is transparent and complies with our obligations under World Trade Organization agreements.

If they were compliant with the WTO agreements when Labor introduced them, what has changed? I put it to you: nothing.

This is one of those great red herrings we hear from time to time when people want to promote these changes: 'It is inconsistent with the WTO.' Prove it. That is the response that I have to give now: prove it. It is extraordinary how often it is that these statements of grand intent are not demonstrated in fact. The current system is already WTO compliant, and that is why we are supporting these measures. They actually strengthen the regime as a result of the changes that Labor introduced, and they ought to be protected and preserved. The amendment that Senator Xenophon is proposing is consistent with the legislation that Labor introduced.

The Trade Remedies Forum is the appropriate body to look at new practices. I take the view that dumping is like tax avoidance: you always have to look at new scams that people get up to to try to undermine Australian industry. The Trade Remedies Forum is the appropriate body to examine those principles. It is certainly not appropriate to weaken the regime, as is proposed by the government.