Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. It is a most important question because the China-Australia free trade agreement will improve the flow of trade across all sectors of the Australian economy and particularly, as the senator points out, across regional and rural Australia, where we have the most disadvantaged Indigenous Australians.

The three principal sectors that are to be affected by the China-Australia free trade agreement are agriculture and fisheries, resources and energy, and manufacturing. These are major employment areas for our First Australians. The industries represent around—certainly, in the 2011 census—18,000 Australian jobs. That represents 12 per cent of the total Indigenous workforce in Australia. In an area that is going to have just so much effect, the China-Australia free trade agreement promises so much in employment to our First Australians.

It is actually no surprise that the former Labor resources minister—who knew much about this and has been of great assistance to the First Australians, even since he left this place, in facilitating the Gove wharf site agreement—says that we actually need the free trade agreement because the potential industries will grow and are the beneficiaries. Our First Australians are going to be the ones who are the beneficiaries. To those on the other side—who must be wondering, really, the direction that they are taking and who have sympathy; and I know there are many—there is an opportunity to reconsider your position on this very important issue.