Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and International Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question also is to the Minister for Trade. As the minister responsible for Australia’s export performance for the last six years, can the minister explain to the House why it was that in 2001 he forecast five per cent export growth when in fact exports fell by 0.8 per cent? In 2002 he forecast six per cent export growth when exports in fact fell, again by 0.8 per cent. In 2003 he again forecast export growth of six per cent while exports grew by barely more than one per cent. In 2004 there was a heroic forecast of eight per cent export growth whereas exports in fact only grew by 2.5 per cent. In 2005 there was a further heroic forecast of seven per cent export growth when in fact exports grew by barely two per cent. Minister, given that this track record is a total joke, on what basis should the Australian people believe that, for the first time in six years, the trade minister will actually fulfil his export forecast of seven per cent growth for 2006-07?

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the graph the member showed was upside down and it was very hard to see.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. That is not a point of order.

Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was interesting to look at the prop the member for Griffith was holding up. He was holding it upside down. In all the years the member for Griffith referred to, there has been in trend terms a continued growth in exports out of Australia—apart from one year. I point out to the member for Griffith that in 2005-06 to date there has been a 17 per cent growth in exports out of Australia to $140.5 billion, and we are on track to achieve the seven per cent growth forecast in this budget in 2006-07.