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

I thank Senator Canavan, a great representative of the great state of Queensland and, I know, someone who is committed to open trade and investment. Last week, Senator Canavan, you are right, the Minister for Trade and Investment led Australia's biggest ever trade mission to Indonesia, with more than 360 senior business people accompanying the minister for Indonesia Australia Business Week. These business leaders covered a variety of industries: infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food processing, health and aged care, resources and energy, education and tourism.

The Minister for Trade and Investment delivered the keynote address to an Australia Indonesia business conference in Yogyakarta. He was accompanied on this delegation by, among others, my good friend and colleague the Minister for Tourism and International Education, the Minister for Health and Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Sport and the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection along with a number of state ministers from around Australia. In other words, this was very much Australia Inc., 'Team Australia' on the ground in Indonesia promoting one of our most important bilateral relationships.

Many northern Australian economic centres are actually closer to Indonesia than southern Australia. Darwin is closer to Kalimantan than Canberra and Broome is closer to Bandung than Brisbane. Indonesia is a market of 250 million consumers right on our doorstep, including a large, rapidly rising middle class. We must not underestimate the size of the opportunity in the case of Indonesia. As the middle class expands, their demands for more processed foods, for more advanced manufacturing and for more sophisticated services will increase. Australia is primed, particularly northern Australia, to take advantage of that opportunity.