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

Indeed, that type of growth in exports which I was speaking about before isn't something we celebrate just for a statistical trade surplus; we celebrate it because the fuelling of record exports is growing Australian businesses. Those businesses are able to employ more Australians. They pay more tax. They fund the services that we rely upon. They help strengthen our budget position. They reduce the reliance of Australians on welfare, because of the job creation activities that are undertaken. Let's take Bega Cheese, a business in rural New South Wales that I was pleased to visit with Senator Bragg recently, benefiting from Australian free trade agreements, or others, like Stormtech, based in South Nowra, who said very clearly that Australia's FTAs provide them with countless benefits and opportunities to distribute their products on the international stage. They are part of so many businesses exporting so much more right across our region thanks to the network of trade agreements that our government has negotiated, creating more opportunities for more businesses to walk through that door and export more Australian goods to the world.