George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I can, Senator O'Sullivan, and I thank you very much for that very important question. The Turnbull coalition government has the most ambitious free trade agenda in Australia's history, and you heard some of the particulars I just gave Senator Leyonhjelm about those FTAs. We are unashamedly pursuing new opportunities for Australian businesses to access global markets and to take advantage of benefits that flow from liberalised trade.

The Prime Minister and the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment last week attended APEC in Vietnam to implement the government's agenda of growing trade, generating jobs and fuelling economic growth. It has been our consistent approach to free trade that has contributed to Australia's 26 years of uninterrupted economic growth.

There are those in this place who would seek to wind back the clock with protectionism, but that is not the approach of this government. We are taking a proactive approach and demonstrating leadership on the world stage. Our contributions at forums such as APEC ensure that we're positioned to capture every opportunity on offer in our region and put Australia's best foot forward. We know that open markets are key to Australia's success. Last year, Australia's average household income was $8,448 higher than it would have been without this government's trade liberalisation achievements. Our ambitious free trade agenda is delivering opportunities for Australian exporters and supporting the one in five Australian jobs that are reliant on trade.