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

We have the people, we have the resources and we have the expertise to take our standard of living to entirely new levels. But those opportunities will be lost if we embrace the politics of fear and scaremongering engaged in by those opposite.

Yesterday, Mr Shorten said that Labor was prepared to be constructive. Well, I am delighted to hear that! And he can start by supporting the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which was introduced just this morning into the other place. And when he has done that I look forward to a new approach from Labor in the Senate. I look forward to getting their support to the other positive ideas the government has put forward to reform our economy, to ease the cost-of-living burden on Australian families and to help create even more jobs. This is the task this parliament needs to embrace, and I encourage the Australian Labor Party for once to get on board.