Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Canavan for his question and acknowledge his strong interest in the fortunes of northern Australian agriculture. Prior to the last election, the coalition outlined a plan to reinstate agriculture as the fifth pillar of the Australian economy and our plan to boost farm gate returns. Those were not empty words. Since coming to office we have delivered for our nation's primary producers through the abolition of the carbon tax and through massively increased market access opportunities in the red meat sector.

The Minister for Agriculture just last week announced the finalisation of the health protocol with China, which signifies the seventh market this government has opened for live animal exports. China is an important and expanding live cattle market for Australia, with exports worth $245 million in 2014. Market access in this industry is critical—as we all witnessed the massive impact that the previous government's policy backflip had on this sector.

But we have not stopped there. We are ensuring that our high-quality produce is being delivered to markets in the most competitive way possible through free trade agreements with Korea, Japan and China. We are also facilitating production here at home with the delivery of a raft of initiatives in the agricultural competitiveness white paper which are already unleashing the productive capacity of agriculture in Australia. This is our plan in action. Beef producers in northern Australia are all experiencing record prices for livestock, and this government is dedicated to helping them to capitalise on the opportunities on offer.