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

I thank Senator McGrath for his question and for his unflinching advocacy for Australian farms and businesses, especially those in Queensland. Over the last 24 hours, the release of September quarter balance of payments and national accounts figures show just how strongly our exporters are doing right across Australia. It shows that net exports are contributing 0.3 per cent to real September quarter GDP growth, and there is ongoing contribution that sees exports, overall, sustained as part of our overall trading relationship—around one in five Australian jobs.

We see, in particular, commodities' strong growth—rural commodity prices rising 5.4 per cent, with exports of meat up 3.2 per cent, exports of wool and sheepskins up 6.3 per cent, and exports of oranges and almonds up almost five per cent. In other sectors we see LNG exports are up almost 17 per cent, other manufactured exports are up 3.2 per cent and travel services are up 5.8 per cent. What we clearly see is that, across a whole range of different sectors of the economy, Australian farmers, Australian businesses, are seizing the opportunity to be able to sell more of their goods and services to the world and, in doing so, are lifting their incomes and the income of Australia.

Indeed, in Senator McGrath's home state of Queensland, the company Frosty Boy, a manufacturer and distributor of powdered desserts and beverages, has grown 30 per cent in the last 12 months. It now employs 70 staff and says its exports now make up 70 per cent of its business. Since 2001, we have seen an average yearly growth of about 17 per cent. These are the types of businesses, small and medium-sized businesses across Queensland and Australia, that are seizing the opportunities created by our trade agreements to do more business and to sell more Australian goods and services to the world. (Time expired)