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

Our services sector, apart from the agriculture and resources sectors, will benefit. Senator Back, being the distinguished chair, as he is, of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, has a good understanding of the issues involved and therefore it is not surprising that he shows such a great degree of interest in this historic agreement.

The Chinese-Australian free trade agreement will provide many Australian service industries an unmatched position in China's economy. This will create historic opportunities for Australians and Australian workers. Labor needs to decide whether they support trade or whether they remain slaves to their perverse protectionist philosophy. That is going to be a real challenge for Labor in the days ahead. (Time expired)