Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. Will the minister please advise the House of the stringent safeguards in place for Australian workers under Australia's landmark agreement with China? How will the agreement boost jobs and growth for all Australians?

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade and Investment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question but also indicate that it is a very important question, especially given the inconvenience and the insult experienced by 60,000 householders in his electorate yesterday afternoon, who were subjected again to deceitful robocalls from the most discredited union in Australia. The significance of this question is that it goes to the heart of claims against the China deal that we have heard from those opposite and endlessly from the CFMEU—in particular, the claim that labour market testing is not required for $150 million plus infrastructure projects. The truth is: our investment facilitation agreements—the IFAs—contain far more stringent safeguards than existed previously.

Ms Chesters interjecting —

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bendigo is warned.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade and Investment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For example, under Labor's enterprise migration agreement, or EMA, on which the IFA was modelled, all that was required was a labour market analysis—that is, a report on the state of the local labour market. You look out of the window and you make an assessment. Under our IFA, a labour market analysis and labour market testing—that is, advertising locally for Australian workers—are mandatory before a single visa will be granted. But do not take my word for it. For the benefit of those opposite who might be listening, senior immigration official David Wilden was asked about these IFA requirements at last week's JSCOT hearing.

Ms Butler interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the member for Griffith that she is warned.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade and Investment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He said:

If, for example, you came in, as you said, as a company wanting to set up an infrastructure project over $150 million, you are then bound by the system that says: you absolutely mandatorily have to test the labour market.

This contrasts with the 2011 official guidelines for Labor's EMA, their enterprise migration agreement, which says, 'You will be requested to submit an analysis of the labour market requirements for your projects, and labour market testing is not required.' That was your government document, not ours.

So there you have it, Mr Speaker—the facts as opposed to the misinformation and the scaremongering. Now it is crunch time for the Leader of the Opposition. It is time for those opposite to stop siding with the CFMEU and back this agreement. (Time expired)