Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

Once again, I thank Senator Polley for her question. Despite many years of negotiations, the Liberal government failed to land a trade deal with the European Union. In fact, negotiations stalled as a result of the Morrison government's disrespectful treatment of a close ally. I'm happy to report that negotiations are now back on track.

Last week I met with the French trade minister and it was a very positive discussion. In the meeting, we reiterated our support for concluding the Australia-European trade agreement negotiations, preferably by early next year. We acknowledge that an ambitious and comprehensive trade deal would provide an opportunity to boost two-way trade and investment to further strengthen our bilateral relationships.

On the same day, I also met with members of the European parliament's Committee on International Trade. It is clear the Albanese government's strong commitment to address climate change— (Time expired)