Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Corangamite for her question and for her interest in actually creating jobs in her community which come from free and fair trade. As a result of this EU agreement, we'll have more Australian beef and sheep meat from Queensland and New South Wales. We'll have more Australian wine from Western Australia and South Australia. We'll have more Australian dairy from Victoria and more seafood from Tasmania. They're all proudly Australian products, the very best in the world. After eight years of negotiations, something that couldn't be done by those opposite, we have today signed the Australia-EU free trade agreement. It represents a very good deal for exporters, and for Australian consumers and businesses gaining more access to European products here at home at lower prices. The EU is the world's second-largest economy and our third-largest trading partner. Deepening cooperation in trade is important to both of our economies, just as strengthening our defence ties is important for our security as well.

Today, we've signed a new security and defence partnership, boosting Australia-EU collaboration across the defence industry, maritime security and cybersecurity as well as in countering terrorism and disinformation. Together, at a time of global uncertainty, with trade in flux, we are acting on both security and prosperity. It was a pleasure to hear the president's address to parliament—the first female leader to do so—with such warmth, friendship and good humour.

I hear comments about beef and sheep from those opposite. Let me just give a few facts. When we were elected in 2022, beef exports in total were worth $9 billion. It's now $18 billion, double. Last year, beef to the European Union was 4,000 tonnes. This agreement provides for guaranteed preferential access for 35,000 tonnes—4,000 and 35,000, that is the difference. It's eight times our current exports. On sheep meat, this allows for nearly 31,000 tonnes, five times our current market access. That is what we have delivered, but those opposite only have two modes: talking Australia down and tearing each other down. That is all they do. They talk Australia down. (Time expired)

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