Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, even the cabinet secretary is aware that the government and the opposition are now speaking on the matter of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. I welcome the fact that yesterday the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow minister for trade and investment tabled a series of detailed proposals, which now allow the government and the opposition to have a substantive discussion going forward about what needs to be done to finalise agreement on this very important trade arrangement.

I make the point: we accept at its word what the opposition has said—that it is not about impacting on the integrity of the agreement itself—and we understand that. We also understand, as I think the opposition does, that we must not be seen to discriminate against China in coming to some agreement on this matter. We will look in good faith at the arrangements that the opposition want to put in place. Many of them appear to be a codification of existing practice and we will look at them in that context. I thank the opposition that finally we have a commitment to getting the deal through. (Time expired)