4BC, Brisbane Live
BEN DAVIS: Steve, good afternoon
STEVEN CIOBO: Good afternoon, Ben.
BEN DAVIS: How were the talks? Were theyconvivial?
STEVEN CIOBO: They were important discussions tobe had and Toddy McClay and I are doing our best in the circumstances to try toensure that we keep our trade investment relationship on track. But, let's beclear about this, Ben, this isn't just about New Zealand. This is aboutcommitments that Australia has with Japan, with Chile, with Korea, with theUnited States. In a short while it will be the arrangements that we have withSingapore as well. And what this is all about, this is not a choice betweenlooking after Queensland businesses when it comes to government contracts ornot. That's what the Premier wants to pretend it's about, but that's not whatit's about. This is about making sure that if you're a fruit grower and yougrow lychees on the Atherton Tablelands or you grow mangoes in the QueenslandCentral Coast or you're a beef producer out around Roma or you're an ITbusiness in Brisbane, whatever it is, if you're exporting all of that is beingjeopardised by this policy that the Queensland Premier's putting in because shewants to pretend that there's no impact on exports but try to claim that she'sbeing some kind of home town hero riding some kind of protectionist wave.
BEN DAVIS: Now, you were trying to explain itto me on Friday. Again, for those who are just coming in on this late, how isthe Queensland Government willing to spend their money - our money, taxpayers'money - on local businesses, how's that going to jeopardise exports from aprivate business who may be dealing with a private company overseas?
STEVEN CIOBO: Sure, the simplest way to put it isthat you can't have your cake and eat it too. And what I mean by that is thatin order for Queensland and indeed all Australian exporters, to get access tomarkets overseas we expect those markets to open themselves up to competition.So when they open themselves up to competition - in other words when they sayyes, we're going to allow Queensland farmers, we're going to allow QueenslandIT businesses, we're going to allow Queensland manufacturers to export theirgoods to us. Well guess what? If they're going to do that for us we have toopen up our markets to competition. That's how it works. You can't say you openyours and we'll keep ours closed thanks. You've got to say either they're bothopen or they're both closed. And what the Premier's trying to do here is walkaway - in the case of New Zealand - walk away from 25 years' worth ofagreements that have been in place, put in place by the former Goss LaborGovernment, and now this Premier stands up and boldly says well I'm no longergoing to be bound or honour the commitments that she herself has made as aPremier. I mean it's simply not good enough.
BEN DAVIS: Last time we spoke you feared thatthere was going to be legal action and you were trying to get legal adviceabout the 'Buy Queensland' policy. What have you gleaned in the last few days?
STEVEN CIOBO: Well I am in receipt of advice andmy concern- you'll understand that I'm not going to put that advice into thepublic domain, but my concern boils down to this. The Queensland Government'spolicy-
BEN DAVIS: Is it illegal or not?
STEVEN CIOBO: Well, like all legal advice it'snot black and white. My concern is that we are potentially in breach. Myconcern is that this reckless policy by Premier Palaszczuk is directlythreatening not only Queensland exporters but all of Australia's exporters. AndI am not going to stand by as the Federal Trade Minister when this FederalGovernment has put so much effort into opening up export markets in China, inJapan and Korea. I mean for heaven sake, over the last 12 months more than halfof our nation's economic growth - and think about it in terms of jobs, Ben, somany jobs have been created off the back of our export success, and thisQueensland Premier who either out of naivety or complete recklessness isrunning around saying well, everyone else can get stuffed, we're going to givespecial advantage to Queensland businesses which puts us, potentially, inbreach of our agreements, not good enough and I'm not going to let her destroythe hard work that we've done.
BEN DAVIS: Have you spoken to AnnastaciaPalaszczuk about this?
STEVEN CIOBO: I've written, I'm actually stillwaiting. I've written to the Premier urgently seeking her clarification of whatthis policy will mean and which trade agreements. I mean she boasted that shewould no longer honour the agreements - which trade agreements she intends towalk away from? Eight days ago I wrote. I note the Premier's happy to stand upin Question Time and I note the Premier's happy to put out press releases, butI'm still waiting as Australia's Federal Trade Minister, I'm still waiting forthe Premier to get around to writing back to me.
BEN DAVIS: She claims that on Monday there wasa briefing between yourself - or departments at least, her department, yourdepartment - briefing on this around 'Buy Queensland' but it was cancelled.Your department cancelled it.
STEVEN CIOBO: That was a briefing betweenofficials because we are waiting for the Premier to write back withclarification.
BEN DAVIS: Wouldn't you have needed thatbriefing before meeting with your opposite number from New Zealand?
STEVEN CIOBO: No, what I need is clarificationfrom the Premier. I mean she has had eight days the Premier's been sitting onthis letter. I mean for goodness sake, she's got time to pump out pressreleases about this issue; surely she's got time to write a letter back to meas the Federal Trade Minister.
BEN DAVIS: Alright, what about your NewZealand opposite, how unhappy is he?
STEVEN CIOBO: Well I'll explain what my concernis. He's not ruled out -
BEN DAVIS: What's his concern?
STEVEN CIOBO: He did not rule out possibleretaliatory action. And see this is the danger that we run into. Now I had alook at Queensland-
BEN DAVIS: Retaliatory in which way?
STEVEN CIOBO: Well, in terms of New Zealandchoosing to discriminate against Queensland businesses into New Zealand. I meanthat's what the Premier's doing here. She's discriminating in reverse. Now overthe last two years there have been $115 million worth of contracts thatQueensland based companies have gotten with the New Zealand Government. Sothat's just in terms of government procurement. So $115 million worth of workfrom the New Zealand Government that's gone to Queensland exporters toQueensland based businesses. Now it would be very easy for the New Zealandersto turn around and say, right, well if you're going to discriminate against usthen we'll close down our markets. Think about the job impacts on Queenslandersjobs, I mean that's in two years, if we lost $115 million worth of exportsales. But then you start to realise, Ben, as I said, this also potentiallyincludes the United States, Korea, Japan, Singapore. I mean if all of thesecountries started acting the way this reckless Premier is acting we could seefor example our mango exports close down or our beef exports close down. I meanin an extraordinary twist of fate the Premier wrote to me today, a letterasking me to do more on beef exports from Queensland because the Chinese haveraised some concerns and stopped beef exports. I mean this Premier doesn't knowwhether she's Arthur or Martha.
BEN DAVIS: But you're saying so she stillhasn't addressed your concerns about 'Buy Queensland'?
STEVEN CIOBO: No, correct. Eight days later I'mstill waiting for her to give me the courtesy of a response about what herpolicy means. And I'll tell you what, Ben, I'll tell you why she hasn't writtenback because this Premier's trying to walk both sides of the road. She's tryingto make out that this is not actually a big deal when it comes to the concernsthat the Federal Government has, but then she's running around in Queenslandtrying to make out that this is a great policy that's going to deliver youbeaut outcomes for Queensland businesses and that's why eight days later I'mstill waiting for a response.
BEN DAVIS: Alright, Steve we will still tryand get a response from the Premier as well and we'll keep abreast of this.