Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By contrast, my important question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline to the House what steps the government is taking to grow the economy and generate jobs? Why is it important to open up new opportunities for Australian businesses to export into large and growing markets such as China?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. He has been a passionate supporter of the great Tasmanian export industries. I was visiting with him only last week in Tasmania. In Devonport we went to a dairy manufacturer, Fonterra, which is already seeing its exports, Tasmanian milk products, increasing due to the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. The enabling legislation for that free trade agreement, as we know, passed through the Senate last night. Not only is that agreement resulting in significant formal reductions in trade barriers; it amounts to essentially a Good Housekeeping seal of approval on Australia and Australian exports from the Chinese government. It is of enormous influence right across the board. Long before formal cuts in tariffs come into effect, the benefits are being seen right across the board.

This is the best free trade agreement China has made with any country—across goods, services and investment. These free trade agreements that the Minister for Trade and Investment, Mr Robb, has negotiated with the world's largest and most dynamic economies in East Asia are key to the government's strategy to lay the foundations for our future prosperity. This is why the opportunities for Australians and Australian businesses have never been greater. This is why there has never been a better time to be an Australian, never been a better time to get on with Australian enterprise and take on and tackle those enormous markets.

Everything this government is doing has the objective of growing our economy. Every measure we undertake, every measure we contemplate, every measure we consult upon or listen to has one focus only—that is, to drive jobs and growth and ensure that we have in the future a high-wage, generous social welfare net, First World economy. An economy that is as fair as it is prosperous; an economy that offers the greatest opportunities and the widest horizons to all Australians, and particularly to all enterprising Australians. That is why we are spending so much on infrastructure. That is why we are considering and discussing with the state governments the recommendations of the Harper review. Right across the board, economic progress, coupled with fairness, is the objective of this government. That is where we are, which is in a very contrasting position to Labor. Theirs is just one feeble scare campaign after another; one embarrassing abandonment of economic integrity after another, particularly from our good friend the member for Fraser, who has to eat every word he has ever written.