Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

One of the biggest challenges facing our country right now is jobs and the economy, and we have just heard the member for Bendigo rant on about how the China FTA is bad for jobs. Well, nothing could be further from the truth, given the extraordinary growth that industry and businesses anticipate from the China FTA. The China FTA is a crucial part in delivering more jobs and economic prosperity for our nation. The Minister for Trade has done a great job in delivering three free trade agreements that will drive growth in our economy for the foreseeable future, for decades to come. The opportunities and potential that Asia offers are incredible, and Australia is well positioned to leverage off the Asian century opportunities in front of us, on our doorstep.

The federal government has moved swiftly and decisively to address the ongoing problems created by the failure to address productivity and maximise opportunities for our economy over the six years of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd governments. That is why our budget has small business tax cuts to incentivise small businesses. Billions of dollars of red tape and green tape are being removed in the free trade agreements with our major trading partners South Korea, China and Japan. Not only is the sheer size of the population in Asia important but also the growth of the middle class. In the future Asia will be home to the majority of the world's middle class—one billion people. By 2025 the region will account for almost half of the world's output. We cannot ignore this area and we must do everything to maximise the economic opportunities and the job opportunities from China and Asia. It is not just across the traditional sectors of strength of Australia, agriculture and mining, but also the increasingly wealthy and mobile middle class of Asia and China demanding a range of services. We know that tourism from China is at record numbers; we know that there is interest in our education services as well. Health and high-quality foods and wines are part of that package. Thanks to this government, businesses and primary producers have been provided with a platform to tap into the market.

At an industry forum I hosted last week with the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture at national law firm Piper Alderman, we heard from a number of agribusiness leaders on the opportunities the FTA will present for them. From seafood to horticulture, the potential benefits are enormous. This is what makes the effort by the Australian Labor Party so disappointing. We all know that the Labor Party is a party tied to unions and some of their policies are stuck in the past, not the future. Members opposite are not able to speak for their electorates if they differ from what is being discussed at the national convention, but very rarely have we seen a federal leader of the Labor Party fail to stand up for the interests of the entire nation, for the interests of the economy and for the jobs of Australians and simply comply with the wishes of the faceless men and women of the union movement. The advertising campaign the CFMEU has undertaken is xenophobic at best and racist at worst.

The first myth being purported by the other side and championed by the CFMEU is that Australian projects will have unrestricted access to Chinese workers. As Trade Minister Andrew Robb said today, labour market testing rules surrounding foreign workers are no different than in the FTAs already signed with Japan and Korea. Through investment facilitation arrangements made available under a separate MOU concluded alongside the China FTA, Chinese companies making significant investments in Australia will have access to skilled workers overseas when suitable local workers cannot be found. Such arrangements will not allow unskilled or underpaid workers to be brought in to staff major projects. Under these arrangements, Australian workers will continue to be given first opportunity. Consistent with existing practice, employers will not be permitted to bring in overseas skilled workers unless there is clear evidence of genuine labour market need as determined by the department. Nothing changes in relation to existing labour laws and employment relations. Australia's existing visa arrangements, including the 457, will continue, and only when they cannot find appropriately skilled Australian workers. We have had the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade take the unusual step of directly addressing the claims made by the CFMEU. When Labor Premiers come out in support of the free trade agreements you would expect the Labor Party nationally to change—but no. We have Bob Carr, Simon Crean, Martin Ferguson and Bob Hawke all saying that this is good for Australia and good for Australian jobs, but we get no change from the Labor Party. These free trade agreements are going to add thousands of jobs and increase economic prosperity in the country and are good for Australia.

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