Mr TOLLNER - 2014-11-25
Recently the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, and China’s President Xi Jinping announced a free trade deal between Australia and China. Many commentators have labelled this deal visionary, and many have said it is the biggest economic decision that will weigh on Australia since Paul Keating floated the dollar and deregulated the banking industry. Can you outline what benefits this deal will present for Territory businesses, and how the will deal assist in developing north Australia?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fong Lim for his question. He rang me salivating after the speech made by the Australian Prime Minister and China’s President regarding the free trade agreement and what it means for the Northern Territory and northern Australia. He knows – as does Cabinet and the parliamentary wing – we are all passionate supporters of northern Australia and we all want to see job growth and prosperity for everybody.
The FTA complements the other negotiated agreements around at the moment, most notably the recent Japanese FTA, and it recognises the work going on with the TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, but says China wants to be a partner with northern Australia.
It was specifically outlined in the speech and recognised that northern Australia was the growth area of Australia. It recognises the importance of the Northern Territory in leading the northern Australia debate. What that means for us, in regard to the question, business, and jobs, is there will be business and job growth so our kids and grandkids can have a future in the Northern Territory.
A range of things were raised in the FTA and I will go through a couple of them. It included, in benefits for the Northern Territory at this stage but this is not an exhaustive list: removal of tariffs of 12% to 25% on beef over the next nine years; removal of tariffs on live animal exports of 10% within four years; removal of tariffs on all horticultural products ranging up to 30%, most within four years; removal of tariffs on seafood over four years; and removal of tariffs of 5% to 14% on hides, skins and leather over two to seven years.
This is an opportunity for business development in the Northern Territory, not just in our urban areas, but our regional and remote areas. It means there will be business investment coming from China and partnerships with business in the Northern Territory and in northern Australia. It will mean the creation of jobs, a greater level of diversity and it will be working with our partners, friends and neighbours in China and Asia. This is the growth part of the world, and there is no time like the present to be forming partnerships with countries such as China.
I say to the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of China, well done. Congratulations from the Country Liberals government of the Northern Territory. This is visionary and provides a level of investment we keep talking about so we have an economic future for the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fong Lim for his question. He rang me salivating after the speech made by the Australian Prime Minister and China’s President regarding the free trade agreement and what it means for the Northern Territory and northern Australia. He knows – as does Cabinet and the parliamentary wing – we are all passionate supporters of northern Australia and we all want to see job growth and prosperity for everybody.
The FTA complements the other negotiated agreements around at the moment, most notably the recent Japanese FTA, and it recognises the work going on with the TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, but says China wants to be a partner with northern Australia.
It was specifically outlined in the speech and recognised that northern Australia was the growth area of Australia. It recognises the importance of the Northern Territory in leading the northern Australia debate. What that means for us, in regard to the question, business, and jobs, is there will be business and job growth so our kids and grandkids can have a future in the Northern Territory.
A range of things were raised in the FTA and I will go through a couple of them. It included, in benefits for the Northern Territory at this stage but this is not an exhaustive list: removal of tariffs of 12% to 25% on beef over the next nine years; removal of tariffs on live animal exports of 10% within four years; removal of tariffs on all horticultural products ranging up to 30%, most within four years; removal of tariffs on seafood over four years; and removal of tariffs of 5% to 14% on hides, skins and leather over two to seven years.
This is an opportunity for business development in the Northern Territory, not just in our urban areas, but our regional and remote areas. It means there will be business investment coming from China and partnerships with business in the Northern Territory and in northern Australia. It will mean the creation of jobs, a greater level of diversity and it will be working with our partners, friends and neighbours in China and Asia. This is the growth part of the world, and there is no time like the present to be forming partnerships with countries such as China.
I say to the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of China, well done. Congratulations from the Country Liberals government of the Northern Territory. This is visionary and provides a level of investment we keep talking about so we have an economic future for the Northern Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016