Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Labor won't be supporting this reference. We note that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is currently undertaking a post-implementation review of ChAFTA, which parliamentarians will take great interest in. Australia's relationship with China is increasingly complex, but we cannot decouple. We must continue to engage; Australian jobs rely on it. This motion clearly reflects interest amongst senators about our bilateral relationship. It's the role of the government to provide leadership and to engage with parliamentarians to explain our foreign policy and how the government is managing our relationships in the national interest. That's why we continue to encourage the government to provide briefings to parliamentarians. Leadership also means working with Australian exporters to diversify export markets instead of overseeing an increasing reliance on a single trading partner.