Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank members for their contribution to the debate on the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Amendment Bill 2018. As we just heard, this bill is another example of our government's strong commitment to open trade, to the value of trade and to the impact that trade has had on this wonderful country. Over the last several hundred years it has been central to our success as a nation. This bill is one of many initiatives the government is pursuing, alongside the free trade agreements, to ensure that we remain a successful trading nation with a minimum of red tape, a minimum of intervention from government, in achieving that great goal of more trade, higher standards of living, greater investment and more jobs—all those things that come with an open trading economy.

The bill enables officers of Australian Border Force to take into account the safe harbour defences set out in the Australian Consumer Law when assessing country-of-origin claims on imported goods. The bill also provides a head of power to enable the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Regulation 2016 to be amended to incorporate information standards made or declared under the Australian consumer law that are in force or existing from time to time. The amendments in this bill will ensure that businesses are provided with certainty that their country-of-origin claims are compliant with labelling requirements. The bill also establishes prohibitions against misleading country-of-origin representations whether they are importing the goods or selling them in Australia. I commend the bill to the House.

Bill read a second time.

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