Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It said all there needed to be said about what the Labor Party and the union movement hold closest as their core beliefs. Recently, Austrade came to Townsville and hosted a seminar on the benefits of the three free trade agreements signed under Minister Andrew Robb. They were, of course, the Korean free trade agreement, the Japanese free trade agreement and the China free trade agreement.

Inside the seminar were officials from Austrade, experts in their fields of engagement with each country. The guest speaker, a mango grower, told of the opportunities they had uncovered. She told how they more than doubled their crop and how they produced more R2E2 mangoes because of their reddish skins. The Chinese population really likes the reddish skin, whereas the Japanese love the Kensington Pride or Bowen special. So she was able to grow from that.

We had over 100 business people inside, from Mount Garnet and Hughenden, and from Garbutt and the Burdekin. They were all keen on hearing how they could grow their businesses, how they could increase our city's GDP, how it could lead to more employment and opportunities and how they could participate in such a positive process presented by a positive government.

Outside, Labor's candidate for Herbert stood there with the CFMEU, the CPSU and the ETU on a picket line. They want to hold Australia back. They want everyone to be the same; they do not want people to strive—they do not want people to grow. They just want people to be more and more irrelevant in their lives each day. Shame on them! Shame on them all! (Time expired)