Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my proper, policy related question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Birmingham. How is the Liberal-National government helping Australian businesses benefit from trade, tourism and investment opportunities with our G20 partners? How does this help create a stronger economy that guarantees the essential services that all Australians rely on?

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

I thank Senator Duniam, indeed, for his policy focused question that looks very much to how it is Australians can rely on a government that will back them in their jobs, back them in their aspirations and back them in ensuring that they can deliver for their families.

The Prime Minister has just returned, along with Senator Cormann, from a successful G20 summit in Argentina. The Prime Minister went there with a very clear message—that trade plays a key role in underpinning Australia's prosperity and, indeed, the prosperity of all G20 nations. That message was heard loud and clear. We welcome the fact that G20 leaders unanimously agreed that trade is an engine for growth, for productivity, for innovation, for job creation and for economic development. That's why our government has been a consistent and strong supporter of free and open trade, and why we've worked so hard to give Australian businesses more opportunities to sell more goods and services around the world. In doing so, we now support a trade ecosystem that sees around 2.2 million Australians, or one in five Australian jobs, underpinned by our trading relationships.

The discussions Prime Minister Morrison had with world leaders were about advancing more opportunities for Australian farmers and businesses. That's why the Prime Minister in his meeting with the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, agreed to accelerate our FTA negotiations with the EU, where our farmers have long battled for better access. Prime Minister Morrison equally agreed with UK Prime Minister May to reaffirm our commitment to commencing bilateral FTA negotiations with Britain as soon as they leave the EU.

These are important opportunities to build on our successful relationships with China, with Korea, with Japan, with the United States, through the new TPP-11, with Indonesia, to make sure that we continue to create more opportunities for Australian farmers and businesses, to sell more goods around the world, and in doing so sustain more opportunities for employment and jobs for more Australian families.

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

Senator Duniam, a supplementary question.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister inform the Senate about the key highlights for Australia at the G20 summit?

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

The Australian government welcomes the fact that, thanks to the advocacy of many nations, including Australia, G20 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working with the World Trade Organization, to a rules based international order capable of responding to those international developments. The Prime Minister went to the G20 advocating for Australia and other nations to take the lead in modernising elements of WTO rules and to show leadership in commencing negotiations around new e-commerce provisions, because the way the world trades is changing dramatically. Australian businesses are playing a leading role, with more digital trade and e-commerce activities, particularly within our region with ASEAN nations and across the Indo-Pacific region. We want to make sure that we take leadership to guarantee that future business opportunities are underpinned by the types of rules that have guaranteed our trading relations so successfully in the past, and the Prime Minister's leadership delivered that in the G20 communique.

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

Senator Duniam, a final supplementary question.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Finally, will the minister outline how our broader international efforts will create a stronger economy that guarantees the essential services that Australians rely on?

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

It's no accident that Australia has enjoyed 27 years of consecutive economic growth. It's no accident because that's been underpinned by the fact that, through a range of economic reforms undertaken by both sides of politics but, importantly, one of them being the market access guarantee that Liberal-National governments have secured with most of our major trading partners, we have created more opportunities for us to earn more income for Australia by selling more goods and services around the world.

In terms of the benefits of those agreements, just ask our winemakers, who have seen their exports to China almost quadruple under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Also, dairy farmers have seen phenomenal growth across the Japanese and Korean markets. What do those increased exports mean? They mean more revenue for Australia, higher taxes paid in Australia, more jobs for Australians and the ability for government to invest more in the essential services whilst keeping our taxes lower, which is what our government is doing by reducing tax for small businesses and for hardworking Australian families. (Time expired)