Linda White (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Watt. Our agriculture sector relies heavily on good trading relationships. We export around 70 per cent of what we produce in Australia, and the industry has a goal of growing the agricultural sector to $100 billion in farm gate value by 2030. I listened intently to what Minister Farrell said, but can the minister also outline how the recent entry into force of the UK FTA will benefit the agriculture industry and assist it in reaching that goal of $100 billion by 2030?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator White, who I think has asked me more questions about agriculture than the entire National Party. So it is good that there is one party in this chamber that actually cares about agriculture and cares about regional Australia. They could few tips from you, Senator White. Well, I am very pleased to say—

Honourable senators in terjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Order across the chamber. Minister Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. I haven't even said 'colour-coded spreadsheets' yet! Imagine when I get to that. I am pleased to say that, following the agreement reached between Prime Minister Albanese and British Prime Minister Sunak, the UK-Australia free trade agreement entered into force a fortnight ago on 31 May. This is one of the most comprehensive, innovative and ambitious free trade agreements ever concluded by Australia, and I'm pleased to say that our Aussie farmers, food producers and exporters—the kind of people that Senator White cares about and asks questions about—are some of the big winners here. Tariffs have been eliminated on over 99 per cent of Australian goods exported to the United Kingdom, including short and medium grain rice, wine, honey, nuts and olive oil. Tariff-free quotas for beef and sheepmeat, sugar, wheat and meslin, long unbroken rice, barley and dairy will provide immediate benefits for farming communities.

Within 10 years of entering into force, tariffs on all agricultural goods will be completely eliminated—again, terrific news for our producers. The potential value of some of these key outcomes in the first year of entering into force include $465 million for beef; $215 million for sheepmeat; $37 million for sugar; $200 million for dairy, cheese and butter; and $50 to 55 million Australian wine. In addition, the free trade agreement includes outcomes which will make it easier for farmers and exporters to take advantage of these great opportunities, like a reduction in costs and red tape by making it simpler for traders to prove the originating status of their goods, faster customs clearance time frames providing greater certainty for exporters and transparent trade and investment rules so savings can be made on administrative costs. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator White, first supplementary?

Linda White (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Minister, for acknowledging my great interest in agriculture and the many questions that I have asked; my count is at least 10 to 0. The UK FTA is a huge achievement and a great win for Australian agriculture and our farmers. Can the minister give an update on other market access improvements resulting from trade agreements that will benefit our Aussie farmers—because I'm sure they're listening at home to your answers.

Opposition senators interj ecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In fact, I'll take that interjection from Senator Scarr. I had the great pleasure of milking a cow in Northern Tasmania recently. A number of senators, including the Nationals, probably haven't been on a dairy farm for a long time, but I was on a dairy farm only this week. I'm happy to go and introduce the National Party to dairy farms if they'd like to come along! I'm happy to introduce the National Party to a cow!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please resume your seat.

Order, Senator McKenzie! Minister Watt, please continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All I can say is thank God for Senator White. Thank God for Senator Ciccone. Thank God for Senator Polley. Thank God for all the senators in this chamber who have an interest in agriculture, an industry that we thought the National Party cared about, but they need to be escorted onto a dairy farm to actually have an opportunity to milk a cow, it would appear. As I say, the UK FTA is not the only opportunity for Australian producers. The India free-trade agreement is also opening up massive opportunities that we're taking advantage of. We've already got avocados going in there. There's going to be a lot more. This government is opening new markets without the help of the National Party, and we're going to get on with it. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator White, a second supplementary?

Linda White (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, we know the agriculture sector relies on negotiating technical market access conditions with trading partners, including biosecurity and food safety requirements, all of which were canvassed in last year's RRAT inquiry. Can the minister give an update about recent technical market access achievements that he and the government have been involved in?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you again, Senator White, and I think that does bring it to 10 questions about agriculture—10-nil, as you say—and I can only hope the Socceroos have a similar result when they play in Beijing tonight. Again I thank you for your interest. The Australian government is committed to expanding and diversifying access to export markets in support of the industry's ambition to grow to $100 billion in farmgate value by 2030. We are ably assisted in the cast by hardworking officials of the department of agriculture and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who work quietly behind the scenes to satisfy the technical requirements set by each free-trade agreement that we enter. In the first half of this financial year alone, the department of agriculture recorded 51 technical market access achievements, worth nearly $5 billion, potentially, to Australia's food and fibre industries. So it is a whole-of-government effort that we're putting into this. We're not being particularly well supported by the National Party. In fact, the Leader of the Nationals and shadow minister for agriculture, Mr Littleproud, didn't even show up for the debate on the agriculture budget this week, just as he didn't last year.

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

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

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, is leave granted to table Senator Van's document or have you not had a chance to look at it?

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

Give me 10 minutes.