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

Yes. The business community is excited and passionately supporting this government's free trade agenda. They know that free trade fosters economic growth and job creation for all Australians. The BCA chief executive has described the recent period of free trade agreements as:

… a transformative moment for the Australian economy. It puts many of our most important sectors on a more competitive footing internationally, and gives Australian companies enormous scope to boost trade and create jobs.

The chairman of the Australia China Business Council and former Labor Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, a great economic rationalist, has praised free trade, especially for its benefits to country Australia, saying that regional and rural Australia stands to be a major beneficiary through improved access to markets for Australian agricultural products. Free trade is good for Australian business, and we are pleased to have business lending their full support to this free trade agenda.