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

I thank Senator Molan for his question and his relentless focus on the things that enhance the lives and security of Australians, Australian businesses and our nation as a whole. Driving much of our nation's economic strength at present is the trade boom that Australia is enjoying. Just over the last couple of weeks we've seen ABS data released that shows that in 2018 Australia recorded our nation's highest ever trade surplus—a trade surplus of some $22.2 billion as part of a record high in two-way trade that Australia was engaging in. Indeed, 2018 was the first calendar year since 1972 in which each and every month of that year Australia recorded a trade surplus—the first year since 1972.

We have had 22 trade surpluses out of the last 24 months. What is driving this? Well, Australian businesses are driving it, but Australian businesses are driving it with their drive and ingenuity off the back of the export market opportunities the Liberal-National government has created. Our government has created an environment in which it is easier for Australian businesses to get into key growing markets, particularly the markets of North Asia—China, Japan and South Korea—and is, of course, expanding those opportunities through the Trans-Pacific Partnership as well—a deal, need I remind the Senate, that the Labor Party and Mr Shorten said was dead and that we should give up on. What we saw last year was strong growth across a whole range of different export commodities. There's diversity there. We saw rural goods growing by some 10 per cent in December alone, with a combined value of $20 billion, and services exports growing by 9.3 per cent in 2018 to $93 billion. All of this comes on top of our traditional areas of strength in mining and resources, driving jobs and opportunities for more Australians. (Time expired)