Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises:

(a) the conclusion of negotiations between Australia and the European Union (EU) to secure a free trade agreement, which will:

(i) deliver significant economic benefits to Australian consumers, workers, producers and exporters by opening the doors of the EU's $30 trillion economy and 450 million consumers;

(ii) eliminate tariffs on almost all Australian exports to the EU;

(iii) guarantee new and significant market access for Australian farmers and producers, creating more well paid jobs here at home; and

(iv) reduce costs for Australian consumers and businesses by making imports from the EU cheaper by cutting tariffs; and

(b) that the Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement will make EU investment in Australia easier, creating more jobs and supporting economic growth; and

(2) notes that in times of turbulence in global trade, Australia is strengthening our partnerships across the world.

The conclusion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Australia and the European Union is not just another trade deal; it's a landmark agreement that opens the door to one of the largest, wealthiest markets in the world—450 million people and a combined economy worth around $30 trillion. At a time when global trade is becoming more uncertain and competitive, this agreement sends a clear message: Australia is outward looking, confident and committed to strengthening partnerships with like-minded economies.

For too long, many Australian industries, especially in agriculture, have faced barriers to the EU market. Tariffs, quotas, complex regulations have made it difficult for our producers to compete on a level playing field. This agreement changes that. It will eliminate tariffs in a vast majority of Australian exports, making our products more competitive, affordable and accessible across Europe. For regions like the Hunter, this is an absolute game-changer. The Hunter is one of Australia's great economic regions. It is diverse, resilient and proud. It is home to not only world-class coal and energy exports but also to thriving agriculture, advanced manufacturing, tourism, Australia's finest thoroughbreds and one of the most iconic wine regions in this country. We are known for wines, mines and equines.

Hunter Valley wine is recognised globally for its quality, heritage and unique character, but, despite that reputation, access to European markets has not always been straightforward. This agreement will change that by removing tariffs on Australian wine exports, helping our winemakers compete more effectively in a valuable and high-income market. That means more opportunities for our vineyards, more certainty for our producers and more jobs flowing through local communities, from cellar doors to logistics and hospitality.

It's not just wine; this agreement delivers significant benefits across the broader agriculture sector as well. It removes tariffs on products such as dairy, grains, horticulture, honey and processed food, while improving access for beef and sheepmeat through expanded quotas. For farmers across the Hunter and regional New South Wales, this opens a market that has been effectively closed for decades. It means greater diversification for export markets, something that is critical in today's global environment. It means reducing reliance on a single trading partner and strengthening economic resilience. It also means creating more well-paid jobs right here at home.

The benefits do not stop at agriculture. The Hunter is also a region at the forefront of Australia's energy transition. From traditional energy exports to emerging industries like hydrogen and critical minerals, the region is positioning itself as a key player in the future of global energy. This agreement supports that transition by eliminating tariffs on Australian energy and resources exports, including critical minerals and hydrogen, and by providing greater certainty for investors. That is crucial. Attracting investment will drive new projects, industries and jobs in regions like the Hunter. Under this agreement, investment flows between Australia and the European Union will become easier, helping to unlock that potential.

We also know that modern economies are not built on goods alone. Services, from education and tourism to financial and professional services, are a growing part of Australia's export story. This agreement creates new opportunities for Australian service providers by making it easier to operate in the European Union, including through streamlined recognition of professional qualifications and improved mobility of workers. That means more opportunities for Aussies to take their skills to the world and bring that experience back home.

This agreement will also deliver benefits to Australian consumers. By reducing tariffs on imports from the EU, it will also lower costs for businesses and provide Australians with access to a wider range of more affordable goods, from machinery to vehicles and everyday household products.

This agreement is about more than trade figures and tariff schedules. It's about people. It's about winemakers in the Hunter looking to expand into new markets. It's about farmers seeking a fairer price for their product. It's about the worker who benefits from new jobs created by increased export and investment. It's about ensuring that all Australia remains competitive, resilient and prosperous in a rapidly changing global economy. In times of turbulence, we do not turn inward; we reach outward. We build stronger partnerships. We open new doors and we back Australian industries to succeed on the world stage. This agreement does exactly that. I commend the motion to the House.

Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion because, quite frankly, I want to set the record straight. What we're being asked to recognise today by those opposite is not a triumph for Australian producers because, on any fair reading, this agreement falls short for the very people who grow our food and fibre. The government wants to tell Australians this agreement will open doors, but I'm here to tell you too many of our farmers will see those doors slammed firmly in their faces.

Don't take my word for it; let's examine what the industry itself has said, because they're the people at the coalface. It's not the Minister for Trade and Tourism; it's the farmers, the foresters, the food producers otherwise in this country. Here they are. They've passed judgement on this agreement. The National Farmers' Federation has been very clear. They've described the outcome as incredibly disappointing and warned that it fails to deliver meaningful new access for key agricultural exports. The Australian wine grape growers, an industry peak close to my heart—not because I'm a huge consumer of their product, but I represent more wine by value or volume than any other person in this place. What have they said? They've said that, after years of negotiation, they expected better. From the red-meat sector, the backbone of so many regional communities, the message is even more direct. The sheepmeat producers of Australia have said this agreement has sold them out. Trust me; from an agricultural peak, that's strong language. Think about it. It has sold them out. That's language you don't hear often.

The Australian Forest Products Association has also been pointed in their criticism. It's hardly a ringing endorsement when they say it lacks opportunity, and I'm worried about the risk of cheap European imports flooding our market.

So, when the motion claims the agreement will 'guarantee new and significant market access', we have to ask: where is it? Because the evidence from those on the ground—those that work in these industries, selling their product internationally, 24/7, can't see it. What I see instead is a pattern: high expectations, rushing off to a press release, slow delivery and a government more interested in headlines than outcomes. This agreement was settled, I'd argue, so the Prime Minister could get a selfie with another world leader.

While Labor celebrate tariff reductions, they ignore the reality that tariffs were never the real barrier in the first place. Quotas, standards, protectionist measures and settings remain firmly in place, limiting the ability of Australian producers to compete on a level playing field in any event. This is a fundamental problem. You can't claim success by pointing to theoretical access when, in practice, our producers still can't get their product into the market at meaningful volumes. And let's be clear. Regional Australians and the farmers and the fibre producers of this nation don't want symbolic wins. They can't pay their mortgages or, in fact, their diesel bills with symbolic achievements or outcomes. They need economic outcomes that deliver.

In my electorate of Barker, I can assure you I meet with farmers, growers and processors every single week. They want fair access, they want certainty and they want a government that's prepared to stand up for them at the negotiating table. Instead, what they see is a deal that concedes too much and delivers too little.

Let's look at just one of the things that were conceded in this agreement. It hasn't received much attention, but I've got to tell you it sparked my interest. In one of the articles in this agreement, there was an undertaking to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. When I read the words 'fossil fuel subsidies', I can only think they're talking about the diesel fuel rebates that apply for farmers who use their equipment off road. Now, if you're talking about conceding too much, there it is. That phrase in itself should send shivers down the spines of Australian farmers. This is a government that's prepared to throw away the diesel fuel rebate—in many cases, the only thing that keeps farmers viable.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hunter for this important motion and acknowledge his strong commitment to the regions and to our farmers and producers not only in the Hunter but across Australia. We've been in power for four years. The coalition was in power for four years before that during the negotiations. It couldn't land this agreement. So it's petty and mean spirited that the coalition continue to whine and moan and carp and whinge about this agreement when, if they had landed this agreement, the new Jerusalem would have been achieved. Valhalla has arrived, heaven on earth is here—if they had landed this agreement.

But of course they're whingeing and moaning and carping. This is so typical of the Liberal and National parties when Labor does trade agreements. We've signed a landmark, once-in-a-generation trade agreement with the European Union, the world's second-largest economy. Where's the Liberal and National parties' trade nationalism? Where's their 'team Australia' they used to give us lectures about when they were in government? They are over there whingeing and carping and moaning.

The Australia-EU trade agreement will lower trade and investment barriers between Australia and the EU, a massive $30 trillion economy with around 450 million people. It's a terrific outcome. It's worth $10 billion for the Australian economy on an annual basis. Of course, our relationship with Europe is grounded in a shared belief in democratic institutions, human rights and inclusive societies. This world's a pretty unpredictable place at the moment, and the best way to navigate it is with those who have like-minded attitudes and with middle partners like the European Union and the countries that make it up. That's why, last year, the government committed to stepping up our cooperation with the EU. This is a comprehensive, balanced, commercially meaningful agreement that will reduce costs for Australian consumers, open up new markets—those opposite can't deny that—to Australian producers and diversify our trade. It's a win-win. It removes tariffs on key Australian exports, including wine, seafood and horticulture. It means our clean, green, high-quality Australian produce, including beef, lamb, dairy, rice and sugar, will have access to consumers in the European market.

It's good for my home state, with more Australian beef and sheepmeat produced by Queenslanders destined for European supermarkets. Local beef farmers in my electorate will benefit from greater opportunities. Two of the country's biggest meat processors, JBS Dinmore in Ipswich and Kilcoy Global Foods based in Kilcoy and Coominya, in the Somerset Region, have the opportunity for more market access to the EU. These businesses employ thousands of people in my electorate, and now there's greater opportunity. This is a hard-fought agreement which will benefit Australian consumers and businesses and provide more choice in goods and services at cheaper prices, including important inputs for our manufacturing and primary industry sectors. The services sector will also benefit. It's worth nearly $10 billion to the Australian economy. The agreement provides greater opportunities for suppliers, investors and professionals. That's critical as well.

It's worth noting that our growing relationship with Europe extends beyond trade and investment. Last week, the government also announced the signing of the new Australia-European Union Security and Defence Partnership, which will strengthen cooperation across the defence industry, maritime security and cybersecurity as well as countering terrorism and disinformation.

I note that those opposite and some industry groups have been critical of the beef and sheepmeat quotas in the agreement, so I want to point out a few facts. When we were elected in 2022, beef exports in total were worth $9 billion. They're now $18 billion, or double that, and growing. Last year, our beef exports to the EU were 4,000 tonnes. This agreement provides guaranteed preferential access for 35,000 tonnes, more than eight times the current export, in a market we've been largely locked out of for the last 30 years. People would take years and years to be able to eat an Australian steak. As part of the agreement, there is an ability to go back to see if we can increase volumes and get a better outcome in the future. For sheepmeat, the agreement allows for nearly 31,000 tonnes, or five times our current market access.

Where are the NFF on this? They should be supporting this agreement, not criticising it. Overwhelmingly, this is a good deal for Australia, and agriculture has come out in support of it. Ninety-five per cent of the industry supports it. Ultimately, the government has made a balanced judgement and a national interest assessment of the deal in its totality. Given the improved offers we've received from the Europeans, the timing and the need to send a message together that we still believe in free trade over protectionism, now was the time to sign this agreement. And here's the rub: the trade agreement the Europeans have just signed with India has no agricultural access at all. No future agreement that the EU enters into will achieve that agricultural access, so this is a good agreement.

Tom Venning (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand here today to speak for the pastoralists and broadacre farmers in regional, rural and remote Australia—the hardworking men and women who wake up before the sun to feed this nation and, indeed, the world. Right now, those farmers are feeling a deep sense of disappointment. Actually, let's call it what it is: they feel betrayed. The government has sold out Australian agriculture with this unfair deal with the European Union.

It says in front of me and behind me that this is an EU free trade deal. What is free about quotas, tariffs and other trade restrictions? Remember that in the EU they subsidise their farmers. This agreement was pushed through during a crisis and it is a missed opportunity. As I said last week, it's a dog's breakfast. But, for variety today, I'll call it a dog's dinner. The EU continues to protect its own interests while Australia's left picking up the tab once again. Our trade minister gave up too easily. He stayed at the table when he should have walked away. No deal would have been better than this bad deal. Instead, we have a lopsided arrangement that treats world-class producers as second-class citizens.

It's not just me and the coalition howling at the moon; this is coming from industry, the very people we should be listening to. Meat and Livestock Australia said:

Australia's red meat sector has been profoundly let down by this outcome.

…   …   …

To land a deal so far below what other suppliers have secured is genuinely bewildering.

The Australian Meat Industry Council said:

The meat industry has worked tirelessly and been very clear with the Australian Government about the importance of a meaningful outcome in an agreement with the European Union. This outcome is worse than those achieved by Australia's competitors, and it caps and restricts Australia's trade.

The NFF said:

… farmers will rightly be concerned that after years of negotiations this deal hasn't delivered commercially meaningful access for Australian agricultural exports.

They will now pay the price for this subpar EU deal for decades to come.

Australian wine grape growers said that, after years of negotiation, they 'expected better'.

Let's look at the numbers, because the maths simply does not add up for our regions. Let's consider the beef sector. This agreement allows just over 30,000 tonnes of access over the next decade. Our industry experts were crystal clear that 50,000 tonnes was the absolute minimum required to stay competitive. This is stark reading. On sheepmeat the result is just as insulting. We got 25,000 tonnes, while New Zealand sits on over 160,000 tonnes. How does the government explain that? Did our negotiators forget how to use a calculator or did they just stop caring? Our sheep farmers continue to take blow after blow—first the killing of the live meat trade and now this.

It's just like how this Labor government is putting further restrictions on our law-abiding gun owners. The member for Hunter has again drawn the short straw, having to bring up this deal in parliament on behalf of his constituents as a regional MP. Who gave him his script? Who put the poor bloke up to this? Because I can tell you that it certainly wasn't farmers. If the member for Hunter, who I have a great deal of respect for, thinks the industry likes this deal, he's been spending too much time in the cafes and not the paddocks. Every major red meat group in this country is devastated. Asking the member for Hunter to defend this deal is like asking a vegan to promote a steakhouse; it's awkward for everyone involved.

The truth is that the government signed off on this deal far too easily because they desperately wanted a distraction. They wanted a shiny headline to hide the fact that the economy is weak and that fuel supplies are under threat. They wanted to pretend everything is fine when we all know that it is not. But their plan has backfired. We had a real chance to make trade fair, and we totally blew it. We need to start putting Australians' interests first. Our farmers deserve a government that fights for them, not a government that signs every piece of paper that is put in front of it.

Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Australia-European Union free trade agreement—let's face it—has been 10 years in the making. I sit in this place today and hear those opposite bemoan this deal, but they couldn't get one. They couldn't ink a deal with the Europeans. We have. In what could have been a glorious, magnificent Team Australia moment, once again the coalition are carping and being negative. They just can't come to the Team Australia party, and what a shame it is for our farmers. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

As Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Primary Industries, which until this term was known as the ag committee, I'm constantly reminded of the strength, resilience, ingenuity and grit of our ag sector. I spent the weekend with my friends in western New South Wales. I went to farewell an old friend, but spent a lot of time with very long-time friends, who are all in the ag sector. They are some of the best people. They produce some of the highest quality food, produce and fibre the world knows. They're efficient, sustainable and innovative. But for too long many of them have faced a simple reality: no matter how good their product is, some of the world's most valuable markets have been effectively out of reach. That's what makes this agreement so significant.

For decades, the European Union has been a market that was, in practice, closed to many Australian ag exports. High tariffs and restrictive quotas limited our ability to compete. This agreement changes that. It opens the door to a market of about 450 million high-income consumers—people who value quality, provenance and sustainability, which are all the hallmarks of Australian agriculture. Importantly, it gives our producers a fairer chance to compete. The agreement will eliminate the vast majority of EU tariffs on Australian ag products. That includes key exports such as wine, most dairy and rice products, tree nuts, horticulture, honey, olive oil, processed foods and cereals, like wheat and barley. Removing these tariffs is not just a technical change. It has real, practical consequences. It reduces the price of Australian products on the shelf in European markets. It makes our exports more competitive. It helps level the playing field with other countries that already enjoy preferential access.

For some products, it will open the European market to Australian exporters for the very first time. It means new customers for our producers. It means greater confidence to invest, expand and innovate, and it means more jobs and stronger economies in our regional communities. Of course, not every product will immediately benefit from full duty-free access. But, even in these areas, the agreement delivers meaningful gains. For products such as beef, sheepmeat, rice and sugar the agreement locks in new and improved access through expanded tariff rate quotas. That is important, because it means increased volumes that can enter the EU market under more favourable conditions—again giving our producers greater opportunity to grow their presence in that market over time. These are practical, tangible outcomes that will make a difference on the ground.

The agreement is also about diversification. In the increasingly uncertain global trading environment we are witnessing at the moment it is more important than ever that Australia broadens its export markets. By strengthening our access to the European Union—the world's second-largest single economy, interestingly—we reduce our reliance on any single market and build greater resilience in our ag sector. For our farmers, diversification isn't an abstract concept. It's about managing risk. It's about ensuring that, when conditions change in one market, there are opportunities to turn to. This agreement helps deliver that security. It also reinforces Australia's reputation as a trusted supplier of high-quality agricultural products. European customers are discerning. They care about where their food is produced. They care about traceability, animal welfare and sustainability, and these are areas where Australia really excels. By improving access to this market, we're not only increasing exports but showcasing the very best of what Australian ag has to offer.

I do want to send a quick shout-out to the prosecco producers, because I know prosecco was one of the really important points of this negotiation. We've kept that very important Italian heritage here, in Australia. We know that it's a really important part of what you do. Thank you for doing it.

Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm proud to represent a region that grows, makes and manufactures things the rest of our country rely on. From protein to pellets, our products—and they are world-leading products made by world-leading people—are sought after from the Middle East to South-East Asia. I'm proud that our region produces 23 per cent of Australia's milk output. I'm proud that our region produces about 26 per cent of Victoria's beef production. These are very high-quality products. I also believe that opening access to international markets is good for my region because it gives it access to countries around the world.

We just can't eat everything we produce in my region. We export about two-thirds of what we produce in this country, and that's a good thing. I belong to a coalition that have a proud record of winning free trade agreements, from India to Japan, Korea, China and the United States. I commend Prime Ministers Howard, Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison.

In fact, before entering this place, I was in New Zealand and I listened to a speech by the then opposition leader and now prime minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon. He said that, through COVID, what Australia did so well was go around the world—and that was under a coalition government—and sign up to free trade agreements. He said to the audience I was in that, if he were elected to government, that is something he would very much want to do on behalf of New Zealand, and I note that he's going ahead and doing that very, very well.

But I have a few issues with this free trade agreement. I was at Farm World on the weekend, which is one of Australia's best agricultural field days, and I said to my dairy farmers, 'What do you think of this free trade agreement?' They said: 'Mary, it's no good for us. Mary, we've been sold a pup.' It is no good for dairy farmers in Monash. It's no good for dairy farmers in the Gippsland region, and I dare say it's no good for dairy farmers across Australia. For regions like ours, dairy is the backbone of industry and it really matters. It's not just an industry, though; it's jobs, it's families, it's small businesses—it is an ecosystem that's interconnected, and they are all relying on our dairy farmers to do their very best.

This free trade deal is a bad deal dressed up as progress. I've got a number of issues with it. A lot of dairy farmers will say to me, 'We are not price-makers; we are price-takers on the international market,' and this deal puts them at a significant disadvantage. The government are calling this a win for beef, but for Monash farmers it doesn't stack up. The 35,000-tonne beef quota falls well short of expectations and is less than what other countries have secured. I've got to ask: Why has the Prime Minister allowed that to happen? Why has he put dairy and beef farmers at a disadvantage to other farmers around the world who seem to have gotten a far better deal?

This is a big issue for my electorate. It's a big issue for South Gippsland, where there are seven dairy cows to every one resident, so you can see just how much of a significant issue this is. But I did speak to my dairy farmers at Farm World on the weekend, and they are dealing with rising fuel costs, with fertiliser pressures and with increasing imports that are squeezing margins that were already compressed. Their concerns go to farm profitability, processors and regional jobs. On fertiliser, I've got to say that we had the opportunity to have a coal-to-fertiliser project in the Latrobe Valley, but what has taken six years to get up in Victoria, under the Victorian state Labor government, took six months in New Zealand. That project proponent said: 'You know what? Victoria and Australia are just too hard to do business with, so we'll go somewhere else that will welcome us with open arms and that wants to welcome jobs and investment and sovereign capability.' They've just done that in New Zealand.

When we're looking at free trade, sovereign capability or jobs and investment in Australia, it is not a good deal that the government have cut here with the EU, and on a day-to-day basis they are not doing a good deal in the interests of dairy farmers, beef producers and small businesses right across our economy. Australians deserve better.

Jodie Belyea (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I had the honour of being in this chamber to hear Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, speak about the importance of alliances in a world that is becoming more uncertain day by day. Her message was clear, and it is one Australians understand instinctively: strong nations are built on strong partnerships. At a time of growing global instability, deepening our ties with trusted allies isn't optional. It is essential to our prosperity, our security and our future. That is why the agreements signed just last week, after eight long years of negotiations, matter.

These agreements include a comprehensive free trade agreement, a new security and defence partnership, and Australia joining Horizon Europe, the world's largest research and innovation program. These agreements will help shape Australia's future, but they are not abstract ideas. They have real meaning for real communities, including Dunkley and the greater south-east region of Victoria.

So, what does the EU free trade deal mean for Dunkley? It means opportunity. It means backing 'made in Australia'. It means making sure what we produce here can be sold, can be scaled and can succeed globally. Dunkley is built on small businesses, skilled workers and growing industries. For my community, this deal is about jobs that last, investment that sticks and growth that benefits local families, not just balance sheets.

Earlier this month, I met with the Greater South East Melbourne manufacturing network. GSEM represents manufacturers across one of the fastest-growing regions, a region that contributes around $85 billion in gross regional product. The south-east of Victoria is Australia's manufacturing powerhouse. It employs more manufacturing workers than any other region in the country and supports thousands of local businesses, and, the truth is, we are only just scratching the surface of what is possible, particularly in advanced manufacturing and highly skilled, well-paid jobs.

That is why a strong trade deal with the European Union matters. It opens the door to one of the world's largest markets. It attracts new investment and it helps local businesses adopt the technologies they need to grow and compete. In my role as the MP for Dunkley, I also work closely with the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula. Through the committee, I see firsthand the opportunities across our region for everyone from food producers to winemakers to local agribusiness. This agreement helps unlock the investment our region deserves—investment that matches our ambition and our potential.

There is no doubt this deal will deliver growth and opportunity in Dunkley and across Australia, but this agreement is about more than growth. It's about resilience. The world is changing fast. Supply chains are shifting. Strategic competition is intensifying. Australia must be smart and deliberate about how we protect our economic strength and national sovereignty. One of the clearest lessons from the pandemic was the risk of relying on too few partners. When global systems failed, Australians paid the price. We learned a simple lesson: diversification is not ideology; it is insurance.

That is exactly what these agreements deliver. They reduce risk, they strengthen resilience, and they ensure Australia is not dependent on a single market but connected to a network of trusted partners. Importantly, these agreements are built on relationships this government has worked hard to rebuild. Turning inward does not make us safer. Cooperation does. Trust does. Partnerships do.

For the people of Dunkley, this is about being part of a future where local businesses grow, innovation thrives and workers have secure, well-paid jobs. It's a future where Australia stands strong—not alone but alongside partners who share our values and our ambitions.

Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hunter stood before this House and painted a picture of promised lands and open doors, but, for the farmers of North Queensland, the reality is that they've been left shivering on the welcome mat. We're told that this agreement opens a $30 trillion economy. Yet, when you look at the fine print, the only thing that's been opened is our own flank, to heavily subsidised foreign competition. This is not a free trade agreement; it is a national surrender. And to call it success is to deliberately ignore the pain that it will inflict on regional Australia.

In my electorate of Dawson, sugar is the lifeblood of our towns. We are the largest cane-growing region in the country and we expected that our government would fight for the people who feed this nation. Instead, we've watched as the Labor government walked into a room with professionals and behaved like amateurs. CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said that to only secure an additional 35,000 tonnes of sugar quota, which is less than two per cent of Europe's import requirement, is 'laughable'. He was right to call this 'a horrendous outcome'. When Brazil and its partners walked away with a deal four times larger, it was clear that this Labor government has locked our growers into a subpar deal for the next generation.

The National Farmers' Federation has been crystal clear, saying, 'Our producers will be paying the price for this capitulation for decades.' Look at the red meat sector. Cattle Australia chair Gary Edwards described this EU trade deal as an 'appalling result'. It is an insult to the hardworking cattle men and women of Dawson, who have been asked to compete with one hand tied behind their backs.

It gets even more absurd when you look at the trade imbalance being forced upon our dairy industry. Australian Dairy Industry Council chair Ben Bennett has pointed to the stark reality: we are looking at nearly a billion dollars of subsidised EU imports flooding into our shelves while we struggle to scrape together $29 million in exports to them. How is that free and how is that fair? It is a one-way street that leads to the destruction of our local producers. We are giving up established commercial freedoms for the sake of a diplomatic trophy, and it is our farmers who are forced to pay the price.

Then we come to the arrogance of geographical indicators. Labor has decided that a bunch of bureaucrats in Brussels should have the power to dictate what we will call our food in our own country, so we will lose the rights to names like feta, gruyere and romano and to accept a measly 10-year reprieve for prosecco. It's a total betrayal of our culinary industry. It sets a dangerous precedent—that Australia is a nation that can be frankly bullied into anything.

Perhaps the most sinister part of this motion is the hidden green tape. The Albanese Labor government has allowed this trade deal to be used as a back door for climate activism. By making binding commitments to the Paris Agreement within this free trade agreement, Labor has given the EU a lever to interfere in our sovereign affairs. They now have the power to suspend trade preferences based on their own arbitrary definitions of environmental standards. It is a sell-out of our national interest to allow foreign entities to police our land management and our resource use.

The member's motion talks about strengthening partnerships in turbulent times, but a partnership built on capitulation is no partnership at all. We are told that no deal would have been a failure, but VFF president Brett Hosking said it best when he said 'no deal would have been better' than this embarrassment and that 'we've been hung out to dry' for the sake of a photo opportunity. This government has chosen ideology over image, over the prosperity of our people who actually feed and clothe this nation. A partner that demands our names, limits our growth and controls our environment is not a partner; they are a predator. This government should have demanded a deal that respects the hard work of the Australian people. I will never accept a future where our producers are forced to beg for scraps at a table that they built.

Zhi Soon (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to rise in support of the motion of my friend the member for Hunter. Building on the long history of cooperation between Australia and Europe, we are taking our relationship to the next level and creating significant benefits for our economy.

With the visit last week of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, this Labor government has done what Australian governments of both persuasions have been trying to finalise for more than a decade—that is, to conclude negotiations for a comprehensive, balanced and commercially meaningful free trade agreement. This is a-once-in-a-generation deal that opens the doors of the EU's 450 million consumers and $30 trillion economy to more Australian businesses and producers that have effectively been closed for decades.

As a former diplomat who worked on international trade agreements in my career prior to coming to this place, I can confidently say: this is a landmark deal in the history of trade for our country. The Australia-EU free trade agreement will strengthen our economic and strategic partnership with the EU—a global power that shares our values while bringing significant economy-wide benefits to Australia. It will help diversify our trade relationships, unlocking a massive high-income market. It will eliminate EU tariffs on Australian goods, benefiting our exporters. It will lower the cost of input sourced from the EU, benefiting our manufacturing sector. And it will create new opportunities for our services sector to do more business in Europe.

I want to look at some of the sectors of our economy that are set to benefit the most from this free trade agreement. Firstly, this deal is a win for our farmers and our agriculture industry. As the beneficiary of an agricultural education and as someone who has spent plenty of time with the sheep farmers in my partner's family, I'm pleased to see the Australian farmers and producers being able to access new opportunities for many of their products. The agreement will eliminate EU tariffs on agricultural products, including wine, tree nuts, horticulture, honey, olive oil, wheat, barley, cereals, processed foods and most dairy and rice products. For Australian beef producers, it means up to half a billion dollars of new access per year; $218 million of new access for our lamb producers; and our fishers will see the removal of tariffs on various products, some as high as 26 per cent. This deal is a win for farmers and our agriculture sector.

Secondly, this deal is good for our energy and resources sectors, eliminating tariffs on our exports and giving greater certainty for investors. EU companies, including battery manufacturers, have indicated that removing tariffs on our critical minerals will make Australian exports more competitive and increase demand. Attracting foreign investment is critical to the success of our energy transition, and this deal opens the doors with modern investment rules providing certainty for investment in both directions.

Finally, our service sector is the biggest winner as well. In 2024-25, our services exported to the EU were valued at $9.7 billion. By making it easier for Australians to travel and move within the EU, by creating new opportunities in financial services, education, tourism and communications, and, by streamlining the process for recognition of professional qualifications, this agreement will further build our service sector presence in Europe as access becomes easier for Australian service suppliers, investors and professionals.

It seems, though, that not everyone in this place recognises the value of this deal to our nation's economy. Not everyone can see the value of hundreds of millions of dollars for agricultural products, nor the value of critical minerals exports. But, on this side of the House, we have put in the work to close a deal that has been in the works for more than a decade, unlocking billions of dollars to the benefit of our economy. This government is focused on building income for our country.

Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.