Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Every single day those of us on this side of the chamber are focused on strengthening growth and opportunity in Western Australia and, indeed, right across Australia. Western Australia is responsible for about 45 per cent of our merchandise exports. Western Australia is the ultimate trading state. When we pursue an ambitious free trade agenda by entering into free trade agreements with China, Japan and South Korea, that is particularly good news for the great state of Western Australia. For example, the opportunities for the cattle industry in Western Australia from our free trade agreement with China are enormous. The opportunity right across the services and manufacturing industries in Western Australia out of our various free trade agreements that we have been able to enter are enormous. Of course, Western Australia right now is going through a transition in the same way that Australia is going through an economic transition. Western Australia is facing particular challenges because of what has happened to the price we can attract in global markets for our key commodities. (Time expired)