National Riverina MP Michael McCormack on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

Описание: Chamber
House of Representativeson 19/10/2021

Item
BILLS - Customs Amendment (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2021, Customs Tariff Amendment (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2021 - Second Reading
Speaker: McCormack, Michael MP
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RCEP was signed by the then trade minister, Senator Simon Birmingham, back on 15 November 2020. We've been acting in good faith with the 14 nations since then to nail down the important side points, the important attributes of this legislation, of this agreement, to ensure that everybody's on the same page. We have cross-party support and we know it's in the national interest and it needs to be agreed to by legislation ensuring the agreement can enter into force as swiftly as possible, because putting this now makes sure we can extract the benefits sooner rather than later. It is in the interests of Australian businesses, consumers and exporters.

They've done it tough in recent times with COVID, with the lack of export opportunities because of the smaller number of planes coming into and leaving our country. That's why we have put in place those arrangements. Whether they are lobster fishers in north-west Western Australia—indeed, Geraldton—or produce the salmon from Tasmania, the sheepmeat from Victoria in your electorate, Mr Speaker, or right across this nation, we put in place assistance measures so that those products could be transported out of Australia. That gave great hope to exporters. The amendments in this bill before the House continue to build on the fine trading export opportunities that we have always put in place and will continue to put in place as Liberals and Nationals in government.