Page 3425 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 23 September 2015
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Omit subparagraph (3)(c), substitute:
“(c) support ChAFTA as part of the ACT’s high level priorities of transport reform, ongoing urban renewal and continuing work to build Canberra as Australia’s premier knowledge capital subject to the Commonwealth passing legislation obliging all Australian governments to apply labour market testing.”.
We have seen some conflicting statements from various federal government agencies and suggestions that labour market testing would be undertaken on a case-by-case basis. So the question of whether the current proposed agreement requires labour market testing appears to be uncertain. There are strongly held views, I acknowledge, on both sides of this argument.
It is the ACT government’s view that the current arrangements are not clear enough and do not properly safeguard Australian jobs. The resolution of this issue simply requires the Australian government to pass legislation that binds all future Australian governments to apply labour market testing. This is not something that needs to be enshrined in the trade agreement itself, and I want to make that very clear. There are no changes required to the trade agreement. There need only be a separate piece of legislation that secures labour market testing as a standard practice applicable to all Australian trade agreements.
Fortuitously, Madam Assistant Speaker, I happened to run into Minister Robb in Sydney earlier this morning and we had a brief discussion. I congratulated him on retaining the trade portfolio and reemphasised my support for the trade agreement. I implored Mr Robb to continue discussions across the political divide at the national level in order to resolve this question. I note from public comments made just in the last 90 minutes or so by Prime Minister Turnbull and reiterated by opposition leader Bill Shorten that both have publicly stated a desire to discuss this matter. So I am calling on both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to meet and to resolve these outstanding concerns, because it is important for this country and it is particularly important for Canberra and the ACT economy.
In summary, the ACT government recognises the benefits of the Canberra-Beijing sister city relationship. We will continue to progress this relationship to foster trade, education and cultural and tourism opportunities between our two cities and between Canberra and China more broadly. We support the trade agreement as part of the ACT’s high-level priorities of transport reform, ongoing urban renewal, and continuing to work to build Canberra as Australia’s premier knowledge capital. We call on both sides of politics at the federal level to work together, to pass legislation that will apply labour market testing and to agree that this trade agreement is too important to engage in political point scoring and that that era of Australian politics is behind us now with Prime Minister Abbott’s departure. I welcome the comments of Prime Minister Turnbull that he is open to meeting with the Labor opposition. I also welcome comments from opposition leader Bill Shorten that he wishes to discuss in detail with the Prime Minister a way forward to resolve this. That would be a fantastic outcome for Australia and an even better outcome for Canberra.
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