Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Is it the case that, under the terms of the Chile free trade agreement, a plumber from Chile would only be able to get work in Australia after advertising locally but that, under the China FTA, a Chinese plumber could get a job without labour market testing? What does this mean for jobs in Australia, including in Western Australia?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In answer to the previous question, the Minister for Foreign Affairs—

Mr Champion interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Wakefield, this is your final warning.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

referred to testimony given before the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties by Jan Adams, DFAT deputy secretary. I would have thought that members opposite might like to have read some of that evidence because it makes it absolutely clear. She said:

… the China free trade agreement will not allow unrestricted access to the Australian labour market by Chinese workers. It will not allow Australian employment laws or conditions to be undermined, and it will not allow companies to avoid paying Australian wages by using foreign workers.

… employers seeking to sponsor an overseas worker under an IFA Project Agreement must demonstrate a labour market need and prove that Australians have been provided first opportunity through labour market testing …

The Master Electricians Association of Australia said:

We don't have any fears about this deal. There will not be hundreds of Chinese electricians flooding into the country. If this deal proceeds, there will be thousands more Australian jobs.

So, instead of fear mongering, instead of trying to make out that somehow or other this is going to hurt the Australian economy, instead of trying to defend the shameful, dishonest media campaign, the Labor Party, wanting to present itself as an alternative government—

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Has the Deputy Prime Minister concluded his answer?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. I remind the minister that Tasmanian farmers enjoyed tremendous success at both the ABC Kondinin Group Farmer of the Year Awards and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Rural Women's Awards ceremonies held last night. How will diverse agricultural businesses in my electorate of Lyons and around Australia benefit from the export agreement with China?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. As someone who was born and bred in northern Tasmania, he really holds his electorate close to his heart. It is the largest electorate in Tasmania. He had incredible success in the awards last night with the Kondinin Group. In fact, I believe that Carol Bracken, from Glengarry, who was one of the runners-up last night, is with us here in the parliament today in the gallery—somewhere up next to the Mayor of Tamworth, who is also up there at the moment.

One of the big issues associated with the free trade agreement is that it has shown proven success in other countries, such as New Zealand. If we look at the results with respect to the products that are available in the member for Lyons' area, we see that we have proven success in the other trade agreements that we have done with Japan and Korea. Let's look, for instance, at table grapes. Since we signed the Korean free trade agreement, from January to June this year, we have moved in $2 million worth. We can also look at other successes. From January to June 2014, before we signed the Korean free trade agreement, we exported $2.3 million worth of macadamia nuts. After we signed the free trade agreement with Korea, it was $6.3 million. From January to June 2014, before we signed the free trade agreement with Japan, we exported $0.4 million worth of almonds. From January to June 2015, after we signed the free trade agreement with Japan, it was $1.6 million.

No matter where we go, we can see that these free trade agreements have a real impact, a definite impact, on returns to these regional areas. A great working example of that, of course, is New Zealand, who signed a free trade agreement in 2008. Before that, their exports were worth less than a billion dollars. They went from less than a billion in 2008 to $6.7 billion in 2014. If we look at a whole range of their products, we see that they have had a substantial increase. For instance, before they signed the free trade agreement, dairy products were at $321 million a year and now they are at $4.2 billion a year.

So who would be against this Free Trade Agreement? Obviously the love child of Norm Gallagher and the BLF, the CFMEU, is against this free trade agreement. And who is channelling Norm Gallagher and the CFMEU? The Australian Labor Party are—against everybody; against Jay Weatherill and against Premiers in every state. When are they going to wake up?