Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to outline the opposition's position in regard to these amendments. There are a series of amendments and I won't waste the committee's time by speaking on each and every amendment. I explained yesterday the opposition's position on these questions in general terms. This bill is effectively a customs bill. It's not subject to amendment in terms of whether or not we like the agreement. It's not a question of ratification. It is a bill that seeks to implement the tariff reductions that come into force as a result of this agreement. We should be clear about what we're actually doing here.

I don't think the number of times you repeat the same question over and over again changes one thing. You've got your answer from the government. The government's position has been explained quite clearly, to my mind. I don't agree with what the government has said. The Labor Party doesn't agree with what the government has said, and we will seek to make changes to these measures if there is a change of government at the next election. But, when it comes to the specifics of these measures, the Labor Party will not be supporting any of these amendments. We will not be supporting any of these amendments, because they are essentially irresponsible, reckless and, frankly, against the national interest. They have been moved by South Australian senators, and I am surprised that they don't have a better understanding of their own domestic industrial interests. I would have thought that an understanding of what is actually going on in the steel industry would be pertinent, that an understanding of what is actually happening in the meat industry would be pertinent; and that an understanding of what is going on in the cotton industry and the wine industry in South Australia—and seafood, horticulture, cereal and what have you—would be a matter of some significance.

I don't agree with many of the provisions that this government has embarked upon, but I don't want to see circumstances, as a result of actions taken by this Senate, which advantage New Zealand and Canada against the interests of Australia. And what we've been asked to endorse here is a proposition which would do exactly that: provide advantage to our international competitors. That you can possibly suggest that that would be in the national interest strikes me as somewhat more demented than is normal in this place. Those are the circumstances in which we've been asked to consider these provisions today.

So, the Labor Party won't be supporting these propositions. This is a tariff bill that goes to change the structure of the tariff provisions. If you want to talk about the general principles of the TPP, you had the chance in the second reading debate yesterday, and you did so. But you won't be able to prosecute it through these specific amendments with our support.