Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 2:18:40 to 2:23:04
Senators discuss the history of EU FTA negotiations and question the specific improvements made to the deal since previous rejections by the coalition government.
Topics: EU free trade agreement, Trade policy
Speakers: Senator Malcolm Roberts, Senator The Hon Don Farrell, Senator Matthew Canavan, Senator Raff Ciccone, Unknown Speaker
>> Thank you. Firstly, you raised many issues that I have to respond to. You asked them in the form of questions. Uh, I will happily accept your offer of a briefing, but please tell your people to bring their bloody data. >> Bring their data. And
>> I will I will ensure >> I I I will ensure they bring everything that you require. If you give me a list of things you particularly want, >> I'll make sure it's available for you at the meeting.
>> Bring their data on Paris trade.
>> Yes. Would your colleague like to attend that meeting as well? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. All right. So uh please please please I I will ensure you get the best advice. I myself will will attend uh in case you've got any particular questions for me. Uh
>> we need some staff to to be able to >> Don't worry, Don's all right. >> You've got our staff managers on. >> You laugh about it. It doesn't >> No. First of all, secondly, I'm sorry. I farmers farmers under the European Union free trade agreement are being held to ransom to force basically people to to implement the Paris agreement. That's so that's the third thing is we want to discuss sovereignty. That's very very important. Your simplistic portrayal and by the way China >> has not has nothing like the way uh health and safety regulations that we have. Nothing like the workplace and relations legislation that we have to protect workers. Nothing like the environmental regulations, nothing like the consumer protection legislation, and I could go on and on and on. They're not factored in. They're not factored into it. China also doesn't have the bloody Paris Agreement, which drives the price of our electricity through the roof, and we subsidize this solar and wind. They're making a killing out of us. Now, I I Mr. uh Mr. Farrell, I uh advance the interest of 28 million Australians. I'm not terribly interested in the interest of 450 million Europeans, but I think the best message to send to the world for us is Australia first.
Uh, look, I understand the position that um you're you're you're putting to me. Uh, but um, as I say, the offer is there >> Yeah. No, no, I understand. Understand.
So data only Paris data only.
>> The only um thing I'd ask you to do is keep an open mind. >> Um I'll provide you with all of the information and uh you can make an assessment yourself as to whether on balance this agreement is good or bad for the um Australian economy.
>> I always keep an open mind but I'm but I'm heavily governed by data.
>> Yeah. No, no, I understand >> and we'll provide as much information as I'm able to, Senator Roberts. And
>> thank you, Minister.
>> I'm very pleased with your um your response there.
>> And we look forward we look forward to something on our staff.
>> Thanks, Senator Roberts. All right, Senator Canavan.
>> Thank you. I'll try through quickly. But first of all, you mentioned there were significant improvements um in the deal from the last time you rejected to the time you accepted it. What were they?
>> I'll get a list of them for you, Senator, and send them through. Or
>> you can't I mean you can't just give us the top three or so right now.
>> Well, I can give you um a range of them. Um but I'd like to give you an absolutely accurate response.
>> Right. Okay. Well, the claim from others that saw the deal is it barely changed. And I I mean if the if the improvements are significant, >> I'm not so sure why, you know, being given the floor, you can't tell us what they are.
>> I'm happy to supply you with a complete
I I I'm astounded that has to be taken on notice. You're the one selling this deal, telling it's worth $10 billion on dodgy figures. Uh and you're saying the significant improvements that you [snorts] can't even list a single one.
>> I'm astounded, Senator Canavan, that you would be opposing this agreement.
>> Okay. Well, I I given that you can't even outline one's one's one improvement the deal made from the one you rejected three years ago, it's pretty explainable why I would be against it, just like you were against it 3 years ago. Okay. All right. Well, look, moving on. Um, I wanted to get off the EU free trade deal because we only have an hour or so left. Um, uh, and there are some other issues. Uh, wanted to just ask about defat's consultation they do before, uh, uh, entering into