George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, through you: Senator Bilyk, of all the metrics of economic success you could settle upon, I am very surprised that you decided to settle on trade, because trade has been one of the standout performances of this government. We have a free trade agreement with Japan, a free trade agreement with South Korea, a free trade agreement with China and the comprehensive strategic partnership with Singapore that I just mentioned. These free trade agreements were objectives that were the apple of the eye of Mr Kevin Rudd and yet for all the years the Rudd government pursued free trade agreements with our key economic partners, particularly our Asian economic partners, they eluded the Rudd government, they eluded the Labor Party. But in three years the coalition has delivered the key free trade agreements that Australia so desperately sought. (Time expired)