Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, Senator Wong would well know how these agreements are undertaken and how they are rolled out. Today an announcement was made that agreement had been reached. There will then be a signing ceremony later on today between the relevant trade ministers. After that, there will need to be a comprehensive agreement signed in the two languages—word for word, chapter for chapter—to ensure that everything is as both countries had agreed so as to ensure that the legal document reflects that which had actually been agreed. Will we release it beforehand? Of course not. Exactly like Senator Wong's Labor government did not do either. There is an established practice here. Senator Wong knows it, I know it, and she should be honest with the Australian people. (Time expired)