Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Finance, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Minister Birmingham. Australia has no market other than China for 30 per cent of Australia's exports and no alternative source for 20 per cent of Australia's imports. We have put too many eggs in the China basket with 40 per cent of all export dollars earned in China. Now we're subject to import bans on a range of Australian commodities, including Australian coal, barley, wine and lobsters. These restrictions are designed to hurt our economy until we make change to a raft of policies, according to documents leaked by the Chinese embassy in Canberra to news outlets. Australian businesses are suffering. When will the government admit its mistake and change course?

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

I thank Senator Hanson for her question. These are very difficult times for many Australian businesses who have trade relations with China. The Australian government has expressed deep concern at the fact that China, through a series of actions, particularly through the course of this year but some of them dating back over a couple of years, has taken adverse action against Australia and Australian exporters. We absolutely oppose the actions that China has taken. We have sought, very clearly, to engage China, both in terms of the detail of the actions they've taken and to urge them to the table. As the Prime Minister, Senator Payne—and with bipartisan support—and Senator Wong have indicated today, we're also grievously offended by the actions of the Chinese foreign ministry in relation to the image and words they have posted on Twitter today.

Our government has not just fostered open trading relations with China, we have equally fostered them through a range of agreements struck with Japan, with the Republic of Korea, with Canada, with Mexico, with Peru, with Vietnam and with Indonesia. We have opened the door for trading relations for Australian businesses right around the world. We pursue similar trade agreements with the European Union, the United Kingdom and deeper trade relations with India and a range of other countries and markets.

Ours is a market economy, in which Australian businesses and companies make decisions about with whom they trade and where they trade—who they sell their goods to and from whom they buy; what they choose to do. Under those agreements, and under the terms of our economy, we encourage businesses to get out there, because what that has achieved is 33 consecutive months where Australia has exported more than we've imported as a nation. That's good news for Australia; it's been good news for businesses— (Time expired)

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

Senator Hanson, a supplementary question.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, this morning you refused to acknowledge that China was engaged in economic coercion against the people of Australia. Was this because you are afraid to stand up and tell the people of Australia the truth, or are you afraid of standing up to China?

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

Mr President, I think you have heard in this chamber earlier today, and from the words, indeed, of Senator Payne, Senator Wong, myself and the Prime Minister, most importantly, that the government is well and truly happy to stand up to China in those terms. I have, for a long period of time, been expressing our concerns—firstly, about the individual actions that China has been taking and, more recently, about the cumulative effect of those actions.

But it is important to note the statistic, as I said before, that month after month after month, Australian exporters and Australian businesses have been getting out to the world, selling more to the world and exporting more to the world than we have been importing. They've been doing that under the network of trade agreements that our government and, indeed, previous governments have negotiated. It is important that our businesses are able to continue to do that, because one in five Australian jobs depends on trade, and we want to help to support those jobs to continue to grow in the future across a range of markets. (Time expired)

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

Senator Hanson, a final supplementary question.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

China is boycotting our products, with 80 ships full of coal lined up off their shores. One Nation and many Australians believe that Chinese products should be boycotted over the Christmas period. Will the government lend its support to the boycott push or keep letting China push Australia around?

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

I think there are a range of implications that China faces from a number of its actions it's been taking of late. The fact that China has created such a high-risk environment for businesses trading and working with them doesn't just reflect poorly on China in the eyes of Australians; it is a point being noted around the world. Indeed, China's actions around the world—not just towards Australia but towards other nations—in terms of trade sanctions and other sections are being noted and are reflecting poorly upon China. That reflection will be seen in the eyes of both governments here and around the world and, no doubt, Senator Hanson, in the eyes of consumers, who will make their choices about the products that they buy and the countries that they buy them from.

No doubt, consumers will be mindful of the types of actions we've seen today in terms of those terrible, appalling and shocking images. I'm sure those will reverberate in their minds as they make those purchasing decisions.