David Moncrieff (Hughes, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Trade and Tourism. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering real economic benefits to Australian workers and families by signing a free trade agreement with the European Union?

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hughes for his great question. I'm really proud to be representing in this place the finest trade minister this country has ever seen, Senator Don Farrell. Under Senator Farrell's leadership and that of the Prime Minister, this government has delivered economic benefits to Australian workers and families. Under the leadership of the trade minister and this Prime Minister, this government has removed $20 billion of trade impediments. We have signed an economic cooperation and trade agreement with India, FTAs with the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, and, today, an FTA with the European Union.

All this confirms that Labor is the party of free, open and fair trade. After all, it was the Hawke government that lifted the tariff wall in this country and opened our economy up to fair trade. We lifted the tariff walls, we support fair trade, we support free trade, and we are building more and more connections every single day. I acknowledge the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and I echo her views that both continents share the same challenges and goals. We need to maximise our potential together, and through this EU FTA, we will do that.

This has been eight years in the making. It's a historic achievement achieved by this government. This European Union agreement combines us with the 27 member states—the second-largest economy in the world, with a population of over 450 million people and a GDP of $31 trillion in 2025. This free trade agreement between Australia and the EU means lower tariffs on imports from the European Union, including what's on shelves at grocery stores right around the nation. Lowering tariffs means more choices at lower prices to help ease cost-of-living pressures at supermarkets right around the country for all Australian families. Farmers and businesses will benefit from cheaper machinery, vehicles, parts and equipment that they source from the EU, and this will flow into households around the country. Importantly, this government has protected—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will pause. The Leader of the Nationals in the House of Representatives, has had a really good go. I need to hear what the minister is saying. I'm just asking everyone to show a little restraint while the minister is on her feet so the House can hear her response to the question that she was asked by the member for Hughes. The minister in continuation?

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government has protected the rights of Australians to keep using words for products they have made for many years, like 'parmesan' and 'kransky', and this is really important to people of Italian and Polish heritage. Australian winemakers can keep making and selling prosecco domestically—I know that's very important to the member for Bendigo and others. There are long phase-out periods for other terms such as feta, romano and gruyere. This is important for the marketing of these Australian products for the many Australians with European heritage—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will pause. The member for Barker, I can hear you from here. You're the furthest from the frontbench. I'm not putting up with these interjections any more. You'll leave the chamber under 94(a) as well—

For two hours—my correction, three hours. If I'm asking for restraint in the House and someone ignores the Speaker, then I ask them to leave and they continue to interject on the way out, there will be severe consequences. I think that's only common sense and common courtesy. The minister in continuation.

The member for Barker then left the chamber.

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. This is a heritage many are proud of in this country and, indeed, it's a heritage and a shared future that we are proud of. It was an Australian Labor government that has delivered a European Union-Australia free trade agreement.