Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Birmingham. Minister, procedural order of continuing effect No. 20 on page 138 of the Senate standing orders requires, inter alia, that the full text of any bilateral or plurilateral agreement with other countries is to be laid on the table at least 14 days before signing. This was not done with the recently signed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, TPP-11, or with the agreements with China, Korea and Japan. In fact, these agreements were all presented to the Senate as a fait accompli, giving the Senate no opportunity to debate the agreements and fulfil its responsibilities to the Australian people. This rule has been in place since 11 December 2013. Would the minister explain why he did not comply with procedural order of continuing effect No. 20 with regard to the TPP-11 and these other agreements?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson for her question. I will take on notice the details in relation to your question, Senator Hanson. I'm not aware of the precise dates on which tabling of the different agreements to which you have referred was undertaken. I am, of course, aware that the trans-Pacific partnership, the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the Japan-Australia free trade agreement and the agreement with South Korea all went through the normal parliamentary process of exhaustive examination through the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties and had, in other instances, multiple inquiries of different parliamentary and Senate committees. The government provided the standard national interest analysis in relation to each of those cases and, indeed, there were often other instances of modelling that were undertaken. For example, in relation to the TPP that modelling demonstrated that Australia's national income would be some $15 billion or so higher per annum by 2030 as a result of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership coming into force.

The government are very proud of the fact that, under us, we have provided greater access for Australian farmers and Australian businesses to more markets around the world. When we were elected, just 20-odd per cent of Australian goods and services could get tariff-free or preferential access into key export markets. That figure now stands closer to 70 per cent. What that means is that our farmers and our businesses are more competitive. They can get their goods into more export markets and they can sell their goods and services at a more competitive rate in those export markets, with lower tariffs, which means lower taxes on those goods and services. This is good news, and it's what has helped to fuel the growth of our economy over the last few years, ensuring our economic growth outstrips that of other G7 nations and our jobs growth has been at record highs, and providing more opportunities for more Australian families.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, a supplementary question.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, Minister, I can say that you didn't present it to the table under the procedural orders. Is the minister at all aware of how concerned the people of Australia are about free trade agreements: their negative impact on our car, footwear, clothing and whitegoods industries, to name a few, and how this affects the livelihoods of many Australians who are losing their jobs due to this, and that, under your free trade agreements, you are bringing 5,000 workers into the country?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge, as indeed the government always has, that when there are instances of economic change that presents challenges and that not every corner of Australia always benefits at the same time from every element of growth occurring. However, under our government, over the last 5½ years we've seen more than 1.1 million jobs created and added to. Last year we saw the fastest growth in youth employment in recorded history in Australia. This doesn't just happen by accident; the government creates the type of environment in which businesses can grow and invest. A key way in which Australian businesses grow and invest is by being able to sell more goods not just to each other but to consumers in the rest of the world. That's what we've seen under our government: growth in goods exports and growth in services exports creating more job opportunities for more Australians.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, a final supplementary question.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the minister hold the rules of the Senate in such little regard that he feels he does not need to comply with them? Will he be tabling the Indonesia free trade agreement, as per the procedural orders, before it's actually signed?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I indicated at the outset, I don't accept the analysis that Senator Hanson has made. Indeed, each of the agreements that our government has successfully negotiated, signed and brought into force are agreements that went through exhaustive parliamentary processes in terms of the legislation that was required to enable them to come into force. They're also agreements that are providing extensive benefits to Australian farmers and businesses, giving them more markets and more places where they can sell their goods and services. That's why the National Farmers' Federation, the Winemakers' Federation of Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a range of different farming, business and industry entities and organisations have consistently welcomed the agreements our government has negotiated; because those agreements are providing more markets and more consumers for Australian goods, which means more jobs for Australian families.