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

Enhanced export opportunities create more jobs for more Australians. All of the research shows that they generate more high-paying Australian jobs and, in doing so, help to create the business and economic strength and resilience to fund the essential services that all Australians rely upon. Australian businesses that export hire, on average, 23 per cent more staff, pay 11 per cent higher wages and have labour productivity 13 per cent higher than non-exporters. Trade of goods and services represented some 40 per cent of Australia's GDP in 2020.

We have delivered time and again in terms of expanding the choice and range of opportunities for Australian exporters. Our government has made sure that we expand those opportunities across our new region of ASEAN nations, across our broader region in North Asia, across the Pacific—with new trade agreements providing access to Mexico and Canada for the first time ever—and now to the UK, and we aspire to the EU and other agreements to be struck in the months and years to come.