Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Birmingham. Can you please update the Senate on how the Morrison government is supporting Australian primary producers to get their high-value products overseas despite the decrease in flights due to the coronavirus pandemic?

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

I thank Senator Brockman for his question and his ever-vigilant determined advocacy on behalf of Australia's exporters. The decisions that the Morrison government has been taking to protect lives, sadly, do threaten in many of their applications not just livelihoods but also the very viability of some businesses. Those threats place at risk jobs today and, indeed, jobs in the future even when the recovery comes. That's why we've been taking extraordinary decisions to seek to support Australian businesses and their employees through these tough times—the JobKeeper allowance and a number of other measures. In my portfolio we took the extraordinary decision last week to support a new international freight mechanism. This $110 million mechanism is going to support our primary producers—our farmers and our fishers—to be able to continue to access the markets where their goods so often head to. Australia produces enough food to support more than 70 million people—close to three times our population. Our export markets are crucial destinations for that. There is still demand in those markets. There is still production from our farmers and fishers, but they have been crippled by the collapse of international aviation, in terms of their capacity to get to those markets.

Our $110 million freight mechanism is going to help them to reach those markets once again. We're standing this up incredibly quickly thanks to the appointment of the coordinator general for freight, Michael Byrne, one of Australia's most experienced logistics professionals. Indeed, in the next couple of days I expect the first flight to depart Hobart packed full of Tasmanian salmon, produced by the Tassal company, heading into Asian markets. Similarly, I expect that shortly thereafter we'll see from Senator Brockman's home state a flight heading out of Perth, again carrying premium seafood, ensuring that we protect those Australian businesses and, most importantly, the jobs of the Australians who rely on them.

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

Senator Brockman, a supplementary question?

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister advise the Senate how industry has reacted to the International Freight Assistance Mechanism package?

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

This isn't a free ride for industry. They still have to pay traditional commercial rates. Indeed, they will pay those rates at a premium. But they have warmly welcomed the fact that the government has stepped up with a solution to ensure that freight access is both reliable and affordable for them. Indeed, the Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative—no doubt something that Senator Brockman is familiar with—said: 'If we couldn't find a solution, we would have been stopping our boats and standing down our entire workforce. This action is helping to save many of those jobs.' The Red Meat Advisory Council acknowledged that the continuity and affordability of air export capacity to our valued and high-end export markets is critical. Seafood Industry Australia said that this marks the beginning of a return to normal. Perhaps mostly appropriately, they acknowledged and said, 'There's no better stimulus than getting back to work.' That's what this is all about: ensuring that we support Australians who can to stay in their jobs and businesses who can to stay afloat.

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

Senator Brockman, a final supplementary question?

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, how is the government also boosting cash flow for exporters through the Export Market Development Grants scheme?

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

Our internationally exposed businesses were some of the first to feel the impacts of COVID-19, as many of our large international export destinations shut down parts of their economies before the domestic impact was felt here in Australia. So, knowing they were the first to feel the pain, we put in place additional measures to support them. The government has injected an additional $49.8 million into the Export Market Development Grants program, recognising that businesses who have invested in good faith in seeking to grow export markets are unlikely to yield dividends from those export markets this year.

Since making that announcement just last week, we have ensured that $44 million has already flowed to almost 1,000 exporters—another example of the government using existing mechanisms where we can to deliver quick, effective support to those who need it. This will help not just our goods exporters but many across the services sector, in arts, education and tourism. In the tourism space I particularly acknowledge those many regional tourism businesses who are doing such a good job as well of sending out a clear message, telling Australians to stay home this Easter. (Time expired)