Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is a successful trading nation. Trade builds our prosperity, it grows our living standards, it drives economic growth, and it creates jobs. Trade promotes competition, lowers prices for consumers, enhances our productivity and attracts investment to this country. Just three months after this government's election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is putting the benefits of Australia's open trading relationships at risk. This is a prime minister who is challenging and undermining that prosperity, those living standards, that economic growth and our job creation that all come from our trading relationship.

Just today, Labor's minister for trade and tourism has conceded that, at a minimum, Australia will be hit with 10 per cent tariffs by the United States. In fact, he has not yet been able to rule out that that 10 per cent baseline tariff will not grow to 15 or 20 per cent. This is a trade failure on the part of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

There are six reasons why Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has, in just three months, already failed Australia in its foreign relations: no face-to-face meeting with the US president in more than 260 days; no exemptions from harmful US tariffs; no protection for key export sectors; no action on national security threats from China; an extensive trip to China that has been shallow in its outcomes in protecting and advancing Australia's national interests; and a weakening of the AUKUS relationship between us and the United States at what is a critical time.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong, is correct when she says that President Trump has a different vision for the United States in the world. Senator Wong's admission—recognition—matched with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's record, demonstrates that this government is unprepared for this new Trump administration, despite the fact that President Trump had already been a president, despite the fact there was a very public presidential election campaign and despite the fact that the President has been in the role for 260 days. The government is unprepared for what the Trump administration seeks to do in global affairs but, particularly and more urgently, what it seeks to do in regard to Australia. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.