Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very sorry that Senator Wong, the shadow foreign minister, doesn't think that Australia's trade relationships with the world are important—that Senator Wong, the shadow foreign minister, who aspires to be the foreign minister of this nation, belittles Australia's trading relationship with the world. I mean, imagine the strife that the Australian economy would be in if that attitude were brought to bear in terms of our trading relationships! One in five Australian jobs depends on exports, on trade, on opportunity. And, of course, at this time of global uncertainty, in terms of the way in which the trading relationship operates, Australians need to know they have a government that values our relationship with the world and puts the ability of Australian farmers and small businesses to sell their products and services to the rest of the world as one of the most important things that the government can do for them. Of course we, on this side, know that Australian farmers and businesses are much better off today as a result of our government's work over the last five years in ensuring their trade and market access is improved as a result of the deals and agreements we've pursued with China, with the Republic of Korea, with Japan, through the TPP, and building, indeed, on the work of the Howard government in terms of the United States.

But do you know how much trade market access was improved during the six years of the Labor government, how many deals were struck during those six years and what work occurred? Absolutely none—zero; a big fat zero. Why do you think that might have been the case? It was probably because the then Labor government had the attitude that Senator Wong brought to bear in that question just then. They don't take trade or foreign affairs seriously. (Time expired)