Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lindgren for what is a very important question. I want to make it very clear to the chamber that the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement has maintained very important protections for Australian workers, just as has been done in both of the other trade agreements that we have concluded, with Japan and Korea.

The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement will support increased trade and investment. Logically, it will help grow Australian jobs and prosperity. But those opposite do not seem to want to grow Australian jobs. Their attempts, and those of the CFMEU, to confuse and mislead about the effect of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement's provisions will only threaten the creation of those jobs.

In fact, the approach to labour mobility in this agreement is not new. Commitments on labour mobility are a standard part of trade agreements concluded under both sides of this chamber—Labor and Liberal governments. The labour mobility provisions in this agreement are consistent with Australia's existing immigration policy settings. The agreement will not remove employer nomination and sponsorship requirements under the 457 visa program, including minimum wages and employment and training conditions. Australian employment laws, salaries and conditions will not be undermined, nor will companies be able to avoid paying Australian wages by using foreign workers. These are key safeguards which protect Australian jobs.

As former Labor trade minister Simon Crean has said:

I do not support eroding the labour market testing or eroding the standards. But this agreement does not do that.

So let us get a factual base about this. Let us get on with the real issue: the job opportunities. We diminish our opportunities for jobs going forward if we do not sign this agreement. Simon Crean, former Labor trade minister— (Time expired)

Senator Cameron interjecting—