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

Our government has had a proud record over the last 5½ years of having sealed deals with China, Japan and Korea and having delivered the Trans-Pacific Partnership when those opposite said we should walk away. When the United States decided to withdraw from the TPP, the Labor Party said it was all too hard and Bill Shorten advised the government to walk away. But we didn't, we got the deal done and it will come into force on 30 December this year. That is a demonstration of the commitment we on our side have made to helping farmers and businesses get more access to more exports markets.

All of that will be at risk should those opposite win the next election. All of that will be under threat because they have said what they want to do is go back and renegotiate trade deals. They have adopted policies that will make it harder for them in the future to be able to seal any new deals, which will put at risk future regional cooperation economic agreements and will put at risk further deals we may pursue in our negotiations with the EU, the UK and Latin American countries. (Time expired)