Shorten backs expanding live exports and agricultural free trade

Speaking at the Sky News people’s forum at the Brisbane Broncos Leagues Club on Wednesday evening, Mr Shorten won supporters after fielding policy questions from an audience of 100 undecided voters, while on the campaign trail leading into July 2.

During the event he was asked about his party’s views on agriculture’s future, including if Labor would commit to supporting free trade agreements and the live export industry given opportunities to expand into the booming Chinese market.

Mr Shorten said, “I'm also going to show you I can answer questions pretty quickly”.

“Does Labor see a massive role for agriculture in the future of this country? Yes.

“Do we support trade agreements which provide greater access for Australian agriculture into China and elsewhere? Yes.

“Do we support the ongoing development of the live export industry? Yes.”

Mr Shorten said Labor would also support funding for the building of dams and wanted to ensure “it's done on the best science”.

“Forget the politics, forget the ideology,” he said.

“It's all about what is in the best interests of the environment and economy and I'll rely on the science and experts and take the politics out of it.”

Mr Shorten was also quizzed about Labor’s position on construction of the Rookwood Weir near Rockhampton which is expected to have a significant impact on farm production.

He said his party was looking at a feasibility study for the project.

“I've spoken to quite a few proponents who think it will be really good for that part of Queensland,” he said.

“So we're open to doing a feasibility study not greatly different to what the Coalition is proposing.”

The Coalition has committed $2m for a feasibility study into the Weir and an additional $130m in funding for its construction with the total $260m cost to be split with the State government.

This week, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) said it “derided” any measures that attempted to unwind key FTAs after unions called for the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement to be axed and the Opposition said it would remove or reform Investor State Dispute Settlement clauses in other trade agreements.

NFF President Brent Finlay said any moves that compromised or potentially unwound the “important and hard-won” trade agreements would be detrimental to the Australian farm sector and “a severe blow to the national economy”.

“The thought of these FTAs coming into any sort of jeopardy will be deeply concerning farmers across the country today,” he said.

“Australia’s trade policy has a long bipartisan approach.

“Decision makers know they are good for agriculture and they are good for the prosperity of the nation and the NFF categorically opposes any measures that would jeopardise any of the FTAs signed over the course of recent years.”

NFF has supported the recently signed FTAs with China, Korea and Japan saying they would deliver billions of dollars to Australian farmers and agribusinesses and also backed the Trans Pacific Partnership.

Mr Finlay said investments across the agricultural supply chain were already being made, on the basis of the long-term opportunities created by the FTAs and “the scope for industry growth and job creation”.

“These agreements were well considered before they were signed and our message to anyone seeking to undermine them is to stop playing politics with what should be a bipartisan policy issue,” he said.

Union opposition to the ChAFTA was predicted on fears of potential local job losses for Australians but bipartisan safeguards were agreed to, when the deal was ratified by the federal parliament.

Trade and Investment Minister Steven Ciobo said this week Mr Shorten and Labor were threatening to tear up Australia's FTA’s with China, Japan and South Korea, putting thousands of jobs and growth opportunities for small businesses at risk, due to the Opposition’s latest attack.

He said the agreements were forecast to create more than 7900 jobs this year and more than 14,500 jobs in 2020, while economic modelling estimated the deals over the next two decades, would make each household more than $4000 better off.

“However, this would all be at risk under a Labor Shorten government,” he said.

“In their latest attack as part of their war against business, Labor's Trade and Investment spokeswoman Penny Wong announced Labor would seek to re-negotiate parts of our trade agreements.

“Re-negotiating these deals, that are already delivering jobs and growth, puts the significant benefits the Coalition secured for Australia at risk.”

Mr Ciobo said accusations that China had seen the FTA with Australia as an opportunity to bring in cheap Chinese labour at the expense of Australian workers was “simply not correct”.

Senator Wong said Labor supported high-quality trade agreements because “we understand that more exports means more Australian jobs”.

Senior Labor MP Anthony Albanese said the ChAFTA had been signed off but its principle needed to be enforced, to ensure cheaper wages weren’t paid to foreign workers to compete against Australian workers.

“That’s absolutely critical and the government has a responsibility to make sure that that happens, that people aren’t exploited, and that we don’t’ use free trade to simply undermine Australian wages and conditions,” he said.