Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Ours is a great trading nation—one in four Australian jobs depend on free and fair trade. We on this side, the Albanese Labor government, will always back Australian jobs and Australia's interests, whether it's by strengthening ties with allies and partners, by restoring trade with vital partners or by seeking out new markets and new opportunities, such as driving deeper economic engagement with South-East Asia so that Australian businesses and all Australians can benefit from the fastest-growing region in the world. Our calm, constructive and consistent efforts have resulted in the removal—I know you don't like this, Senator Cash—of $20 billion worth of trade impediments that existed under you and that hurt Australian producers. But what we do know and what we've seen today and again and again is that Mr Dutton and the Liberals are too reckless and too arrogant to be trusted with Australian trade. They are too reckless and too arrogant, and they play politics with our largest export market. (Time expired)