Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

And there were those with Peru and Indonesia, as well as the regional agreements across the Indo-Pacific, including the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

To segue a little bit, I think back to Federation, when there were two major parties. It wasn't, with all due respect, the Labor Party and it wasn't the forerunner of the Liberal Party. It wasn't even the forerunner of the Nationals or the Country Party. It was the free traders versus the protectionists. There was a fierce economic debate for many decades. But what has worn through the test of time is that there is bipartisan agreement in this chamber on the advantages and the benefits of trade for Australia, and we have led the way in that in a bipartisan fashion over many, many decades now. And what has it resulted in? It has resulted in the fact that now, in trade, exporting companies in Australia are literally driving our economic growth and economic prosperity. We exported around $650 billion worth of stuff last year. I'm a little bit biased. I'm a regional MP, and over two-thirds of that is from regional Australia. Coal, iron ore, gas and food—ag, if you like—are the four biggest exports of our country, all from regional Australia. I know my community get the benefits of free trade, as most of regional Australia does. Just as a personal aside, the biggest employer in my electorate is an abattoir which exports 70 per cent of what it processes. They employ over a thousand people and process both beef and pork.

Again, as I said, I'm happy to be bipartisan and commend the government here. I would make a couple of points. Part of this that would have happened if not for government policy would be live sheep exports. The ban the government is implementing is, I think, a shame, because certainly the UAE is a gateway into the Middle East for us for a lot of things. That's disappointing. But, again, I think the benefits this will open up—and it will open up the Middle East to us as the first agreement to be done in this region—are very positive, and I commend the government and I commend these two bills to the House.

Debate adjourned.

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