Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate this government once again on securing significant free trade agreements that will deliver major benefits to workers, businesses and consumers in my electorate of Robertson, and which were discussed at length at an outstanding Austrade forum we held at Gosford RSL last week. More than 40 local business heard clearly that there has never been a better time to engage with our export markets.

But, sadly, this positive message about the benefit of free trade agreements is not forthcoming from the unions. In fact, the behaviour of the ACTU has been quite deceitful, setting up phony, so-called 'debates' around the country, including on the Central Coast. I am more than willing to engage in fair, balanced and open discussion—our Austrade forum held last week is a good case in point. But these sham debates run by the ACTU are only designed to push misleading arguments and misleading facts.

What is worse is that I and several other coalition members had been invited to debates, and we sent written apologies that we could not attend—often, well in advance and, in my case, to an event that was not even in my electorate—yet the unions advertised our so-called 'attendance' then had the gall to claim that we were 'no shows', while their silence about the lack of attendance by Labor MPs was deafening.

But I believe that Australians will always choose optimism and opportunity over fear, division and misleading campaigns. So I will continue to promote the fact that the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement will boost trade, propel growth and create many thousands of jobs. (Time expired)