Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lindgren for her question. She is a great representative of Queensland who I am looking forward to seeing come back to this parliament to give the sort of representation that Queensland needs to get through the adjustment from the mining boom with the help of the Turnbull government.

Last night, the Treasurer announced a six-point plan for the country. The only parties in this parliament with a plan are the coalition—a six-point plan. The No. 3 point: export trade deals to generate new business opportunities. That is what it is about. Australia's free trade agreements are laying the basis for a strong new economy. Australia's free trade agreement with South Korea entered into force in late 2014. Our agreement with Japan entered into force a month later. And our free trade agreement with China came into effect late last year. This is a trifecta that will pay out more than any other. These FTAs, as well as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, will generate billions of dollars in economic activity in Australia.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How's your memory?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My memory is of six years of debt and deficit under the people opposite. My memory is of them creating roadblocks in the economy—while we are going through the process of laying the foundations of a strong new economy. You are going to be hearing the phrase 'jobs and growth' for the next eight weeks. We have a plan for the economy. They have a plan for the election. That is all they have got. They are not thinking about the next 10 years. They are thinking about the election. We have a plan for a strong new economy. Modelling has shown that our three bilateral free trade agreements will add $24 billion to our GDP. (Time expired)

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks to this government, small businesses across Australia have unprecedented opportunities to grow their operations and in turn create jobs and growth. The free trade agreements, in combination with our tax cuts for small- and medium-sized enterprises taking effect over the next few years, will create a great environment to exploit the opportunities in our region. They will help the access of small businesses to large and growing markets—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

large and growing markets that these people can only dream of. And we did it on our watch, under the watch of the best trade minister in a generation, Andrew Robb, who is leaving the parliament. Austrade now has a range of support mechanisms in place, from advice to grants and trade mission opportunities for both established and aspirational exporters.

Opposition senators interjecting —

They hate it over there when we talk about aspirational Australians, people who have a go. You back your fellow Australians. You do not hobble them with more tax and spend. (Time expired)

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are many businesses throughout the maroon state that will benefit and are benefiting already from our free trade agenda. One example is Grove fruit juice, operating in Brisbane and on the Darling Downs. As a senator for New South Wales, I am proud to say that Grove fruit juice also runs a 300-hectare orange orchard in Moree for use in production. Founded in 1969 and starting life as a small business, Grove fruit juice employs more than 100 Australians today. Grove squeezes 300,000 oranges and presses 180,000 apples every single day, selling over 500,000 litres of fruit juice per week. As a result of the Japan-Australia free trade agreement, tariffs of up to 34 per cent on fruit juices have progressively been cut for the last three years and will be fully eliminated in 2024. This has allowed Grove to export their product to Japan for the first time—another example of bringing home the bacon. (Time expired)

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed upon the Notice Paper.