Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Will the minister update the House on the benefits to date of the government's free trade agreements with Japan and Korea? How will the export agreement with China further benefit rural and regional businesses, particularly in Western Australia?

Mrs Griggs interjecting—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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

The members for Solomon and Grayndler will cease interjecting.

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. Coming from the seat of O'Connor, he, more than anybody else, would know about the sort of vision that is required to build a nation, because it was O'Connor who put the pipeline in from the coast to open up the goldfields around Kalgoorlie. It is this government that continues on with that water infrastructure program in building dams and making sure that the lives of people are going to be better by making sure we have that investment. The member for O'Connor is a person who has been part of that area since 1867—he is still on the family farm—so he has a strong history in the area.

It is very important that the Australian people and, indeed, the people of Western Australia understand how important it is that we expand our agricultural production into new markets. We have to be the economic managers who deal with issues such as the downturn in harder commodities, such as coal and iron ore, by expanding our exports of soft commodities, for which agriculture is such a vital part.

Through the work that we have done in the Korean free trade agreement, we have seen beef go from $423.6 million in January to June 2014 to $550.8 million after the free trade agreement in January to June 2015. It is a 30 per cent increase.

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield.

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

It goes to show you how these trade agreements have real effect in the money our nation earns. Likewise, with cherries, even from Tasmania: $69,000 before the free trade agreement, for six months, to $3.5 million—another example. And table grapes: we know we grow them around the Swan Valley in Western Australia, and we have an immense increase in our exports. In fact, our exports into Korea have gone from nothing to over $2 million. And wine is a big industry for Western Australia, in the regions around Margaret River. Under the Korean free trade agreement that has gone from $4.6 million in the six months to June 2014 to $8.9 million in the six months to June 2015. What we have done with the Japanese free trade agreement is similar, going from $685 million for the six months to June 2014 in beef to just shy of $900 million.

We can see that to grow our economy, to give people jobs, to bring a better return through the farm gate we have to listen to people who actually know about business, listen to people such as Premier Jay Weatherill, listen to people such as Annastacia Palaszczuk, listen to people such as the Premier of Victoria and stop listening to people such as the progenitor of the BLF, the CFMEU. We have to realise that if we truly believe that we are right for this nation then we must stand behind jobs for Western Australians.