Catch up Clare, while Labor talks the Coalition has delivered on trade

The tradefuture Labor speaks of has already arrived - and it arrived with theCoalition.

Today, Labor trade spokesman JasonClare, has talked about the need to assist Australian businesses takeadvantage of the economic opportunities of trading with Asia – yet this isalready happening and has been for years thanks to Coalition Governments.

The Coalition concluded free tradeagreements (FTAs) with the three North Asian powerhouse economies of China,Japan and Korea which have created new export opportunities for Australianbusinesses that are driving growth in our economy.

This builds on the Coalition's trackrecord in the region. The Coalition started and concluded the FTA withThailand; the FTA with the 10 ASEAN countries, plus NZ and the Coalitionstarted the FTA with Malaysia. I am now finalising an FTA with Indonesia.

Labor's record on trade is abysmaland their actions speak louder than their rhetoric. It was Labor who cutfunding for negotiating the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA).Labor's rhetoric around economic engagement with Asia is hollow andhypocritical.

It did not take the Coalition until2017 to realise Asia offers opportunities for Australian businesses to grow.From the signing of the 1957 Commerce Agreement with Japan 60 years ago (whichLabor opposed), to the signing of the ChAFTA (which Labor also opposed), theCoalition has been unwavering and clear-eyed about Australia's engagementwith our region.

Labor is talking about upgradingFTAs – again, this is something the Coalition has already done. Recently theGovernment successfully introduced legislation upgrading our Singapore FTAsigned almost 15 years ago. We welcomed Labor's support.

Australia already has measures inplace to test the effectiveness of its FTAs. There is rigorous oversight,primarily through the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, which includesLabor parliamentarians. Labor and Clare's attack on the professionalism of theDepartment of Foreign Affairs and Trade is extraordinary.

The skepticism that needs to beaddressed is within Labor and the union movement when it comes to trade. Wesaw it on an unprecedented scale with the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement(ChAFTA). So venomous was the opposition that Warren Mundine, aformer president of the Australian Labor Party, called the anti-ChAFTA campaign"bigoted" and "xenophobic".