Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This Australia-European Union free trade agreement—let's face it—has been 10 years in the making. I sit in this place today and hear those opposite bemoan this deal, but they couldn't get one. They couldn't ink a deal with the Europeans. We have. In what could have been a glorious, magnificent Team Australia moment, once again the coalition are carping and being negative. They just can't come to the Team Australia party, and what a shame it is for our farmers. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

As Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Primary Industries, which until this term was known as the ag committee, I'm constantly reminded of the strength, resilience, ingenuity and grit of our ag sector. I spent the weekend with my friends in western New South Wales. I went to farewell an old friend, but spent a lot of time with very long-time friends, who are all in the ag sector. They are some of the best people. They produce some of the highest quality food, produce and fibre the world knows. They're efficient, sustainable and innovative. But for too long many of them have faced a simple reality: no matter how good their product is, some of the world's most valuable markets have been effectively out of reach. That's what makes this agreement so significant.

For decades, the European Union has been a market that was, in practice, closed to many Australian ag exports. High tariffs and restrictive quotas limited our ability to compete. This agreement changes that. It opens the door to a market of about 450 million high-income consumers—people who value quality, provenance and sustainability, which are all the hallmarks of Australian agriculture. Importantly, it gives our producers a fairer chance to compete. The agreement will eliminate the vast majority of EU tariffs on Australian ag products. That includes key exports such as wine, most dairy and rice products, tree nuts, horticulture, honey, olive oil, processed foods and cereals, like wheat and barley. Removing these tariffs is not just a technical change. It has real, practical consequences. It reduces the price of Australian products on the shelf in European markets. It makes our exports more competitive. It helps level the playing field with other countries that already enjoy preferential access.

For some products, it will open the European market to Australian exporters for the very first time. It means new customers for our producers. It means greater confidence to invest, expand and innovate, and it means more jobs and stronger economies in our regional communities. Of course, not every product will immediately benefit from full duty-free access. But, even in these areas, the agreement delivers meaningful gains. For products such as beef, sheepmeat, rice and sugar the agreement locks in new and improved access through expanded tariff rate quotas. That is important, because it means increased volumes that can enter the EU market under more favourable conditions—again giving our producers greater opportunity to grow their presence in that market over time. These are practical, tangible outcomes that will make a difference on the ground.

The agreement is also about diversification. In the increasingly uncertain global trading environment we are witnessing at the moment it is more important than ever that Australia broadens its export markets. By strengthening our access to the European Union—the world's second-largest single economy, interestingly—we reduce our reliance on any single market and build greater resilience in our ag sector. For our farmers, diversification isn't an abstract concept. It's about managing risk. It's about ensuring that, when conditions change in one market, there are opportunities to turn to. This agreement helps deliver that security. It also reinforces Australia's reputation as a trusted supplier of high-quality agricultural products. European customers are discerning. They care about where their food is produced. They care about traceability, animal welfare and sustainability, and these are areas where Australia really excels. By improving access to this market, we're not only increasing exports but showcasing the very best of what Australian ag has to offer.

I do want to send a quick shout-out to the prosecco producers, because I know prosecco was one of the really important points of this negotiation. We've kept that very important Italian heritage here, in Australia. We know that it's a really important part of what you do. Thank you for doing it.

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