Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

Thankfully most of the business community and sensible commentators around Australia have welcomed the enormous benefits of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Of course, there was a time when those opposite did as well. When it was signed, I recall Mr Shorten welcoming the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. They were all for it. Indeed, when they were in power, apparently they were so close to sealing the deal that they were allegedly responsible for it; yet now they are running a disgraceful scare campaign on the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. But what does former Prime Minister Bob Hawke say? He says:

I am all in favour of it. The party must not go backwards on this issue—the party and the trade union movement. Talk of opposing it is just absolutely against Australia's best interests.

In the words of Bob Hawke, those opposite are absolutely against Australia's best interests today. By standing against the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement they are against investment in Australia, growth for Australia and jobs for Australians. (Time expired)