Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Please resume your seat, Senator Bragg. I can't hear you. This is a forum for non-government parties. The time that is wasted comes out of questions from non-government parties.

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Birmingham. How is the Morrison government creating certain and stable opportunities for Australian farmers and businesses through trade that benefits Australia?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bragg for his question that relates to jobs for Australians, because that's the No. 1 priority of people on this side of the chamber. The No. 1 question that comes from those on this side relates to more job opportunities for Australians, while the No. 1 question from the other side is all about mudraking and mudslinging.

What our government has achieved has been to continuously create more opportunities for Australian farmers and businesses to be able to export their goods to the world. The end result of our work in that regard has been that Australian exports are at record levels. Around this time yesterday, I was pleased that, as senators would know, this parliament gave the final legislative approval necessary to enable us to proceed to ratify the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. This is a fantastic agreement, and I was pleased to see some bipartisan support on this matter and for the passage of it. It's a great agreement because it is going to allow some 99 per cent of Australian goods exports to Indonesia to enter duty free or under significantly approved arrangements starting from 2020.

This is a great opportunity, particularly for our farmers as well as many other businesses. Indonesia will guarantee the automatic issue of import permits for live cattle, frozen beef, sheepmeat, feed grains, rolled steel coil, citrus products, carrots and potatoes. All of these producers and farmers stand to gain significantly: some 575,000 potential cattle; up to $150 million of feed grains into Indonesia duty free; frozen beef and sheepmeat exports having their tariffs halved instantly and eliminated over five years; and dairy tariffs reduced or removed entirely. These are big gains that are helping our farmers, helping our businesses and creating jobs for Australians.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bragg, a supplementary question?

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, how will businesses directly benefit from these trade agreements and continue to grow our economy?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Businesses will benefit because they're going to get those guaranteed permits to get into Indonesian markets. They're going to face fewer or zero tariffs and open access in many markets. This is a huge gain. For example, small and medium-size businesses with vegetable and horticultural products, like Premium Fresh Tasmania, which are already benefiting from FTAs are going to stand to gain too, as will many in Senator Bragg's home state and in my home state and right across Australia. Take Ironbark Citrus up in Queensland or Anchor Foods over in WA. They are great Australian businesses, each employing around 150 employees. They stand to gain in terms of food access. Others, such as Taurus Mining Solutions in Mackay in Queensland, provide services that make mining industries safer but also provide jobs for those Australians delivering those services— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bragg, a final supplementary question?

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister advise the Senate of support for these agreements?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There's been overwhelming support from Australian farmers, business and industry in relation to these agreements. The NFF have highlighted the extent to which they lock in new trade opportunities for our meat, grain, sugar, dairy and horticultural producers. The Australian Industry Group has described the Indonesia agreement as being a 'groundbreaking agreement' for dedicating an entire chapter to non-tariff measures, a critical component of this agreement in that it provides the opportunity not just to address and reduce those tariffs that make it harder for Australian businesses to export but also to address those non-tariff measures that can get in the way.

The Australia-Latin America Business Council highlighted our Peru agreement and particularly the opportunities there not just for agricultural producers but also for those mining services companies, the likes of which I referenced before. And there was the Australian Services Roundtable—and I acknowledge, Senator Bragg and Senator Van, your attendance at meetings held here earlier— (Time expired)