Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to rise to speak in relation to the Export Control Amendment (Streamlining Administrative Processes) Bill 2022. I think all senators in this place would note the importance of Australia's agriculture industry to our country's wellbeing. Anything we can do to boost that industry, to make it easier for our producers in the agriculture sector to export their wonderful products to the rest of the world, is a great thing and we should support it. In this context I should note that approximately 70 per cent of Australia's agricultural produce is exported. We need to ensure that these businesses, these producers, are adequately supported by fit-for-purpose systems operating as efficiently as possible. That is the intention underlying this bill and it's an intention which we on this side of the chamber fully support.

From my perspective, it is important that we place on the record the achievements of the coalition government during previous terms of parliament. It was part of a drive to build our agriculture sector to achieve its goal of reaching $100 billion of farmgate output by 2030. That was the goal—$100 billion of farm output by 2030—and we are tracking reasonably well towards achieving that goal. It's important that all of us in the chamber do everything we can to stay the course to achieve that goal.

During the time when the coalition government was in power, we saw $328.4 million in congestion-busting measures to slash red tape in the agriculture sector and $85.9 million, through the Agribusiness Expansion Initiative, to diversify markets. Most importantly, in my view, we now have in place trade agreements which cover approximately 80 per cent of Australia's markets. In 2013, trade agreements covered approximately 27 per cent of our markets, and that's been increased, as a result of the efforts of trade ministers under the coalition government, to nearly 80 per cent of our export markets. That's a wonderful achievement.

I note the government is progressing a number of trade discussions as well, and that's something which should attract the support of all members sitting in this chamber, because that's a good thing. It is a good thing for Australia's agricultural products to be exported to the world. It's a good thing for our rural and regional communities, but it's also a good thing for the customers of those products, the people who buy and rely upon those products all over the world.

The last point I would like to draw attention to in my brief contribution in this debate is the budget cuts that were made by the Labor government in its October 2022 budget, which were extraordinarily disappointing because, as I said, we need to support our agricultural producers in their efforts to export more of their product overseas. In that policy context, why would you take the axe to the Regional Accelerator Program, which was introduced by the coalition government? Why would you take the axe to a program that is meant to support current small and medium-sized businesses to get into the export market and contribute to the goal of $100 billion by 2030 which we've set our sights on? Why take the axe to a program to support those potential exporters? On the contrary, we should be supporting exporters, especially those in the small to medium-sized cohort, to take advantage of the opportunities that are there for them. They just need some assistance to seize those opportunities, and that will assist us in reaching that $100 billion target by 2030.

So from my perspective—and, I'm sure, from the perspective of others on this side of the chamber—we fully support this bill, but we also call upon the government to reconsider its slashing of the Regional Accelerator Program and to provide support, especially to small and medium-sized businesses, to achieve their dreams and realise their potential in the best interests of the Australian people and the Australian economy.