China Trade

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:22): I could comment in considerable detail on some of the policy positions, or lack thereof, from those opposite, but I am going to focus on their response to our trade mission to China and our exports program because some criticisms have been made that warrant a response. In particular, the Leader of the Opposition, in an opinion piece, has basically attacked the government's Public Service officers by saying that it was wrong for them to have been involved in the China trip. He has also called for the reinstitution of overseas trade offices, at considerable expense, in all of our trading destinations.

There was a further attack in The Advertiser fuelled by Sir Lunchalot (David Ridgway) in the other place, who seems to have interrupted his long lunch to criticise the government yet again for being involved in overseas trips—

An honourable member interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I remind all members that the member is entitled to be heard in silence and, according to the Speaker's notebook, you are all basically on two warnings, so enough.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: It would be nice, of course, if the Hon. Mr Ridgway in the other place could get his facts straight. He has told The Advertiser that I have been to Sweden, Denmark and Italy, which I have not, but let's not let the facts get in the way of a good yarn. I just want to make it clear to those opposite that—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —the government actually wants to create jobs and enterprise and encourage small business, particularly in the regions. For that reason we are actually doing what the opposition is not doing, or cannot do, and that is setting about a program—

Mr Bell interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Mount Gambier is reminded.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —of actions to make sure that farmers, food producers, winemakers, aquaculture industry operators, manufacturers and service industry providers are all given the opportunity to export their goods and services overseas. One of the first steps I have taken as Minister for Investment and Trade is to organise a calendar of regular outbound and inbound missions to China and India.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: I wrote it; I wrote it, and I am implementing exactly what needs to be implemented.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey can leave the chamber for 10 minutes, thank you.

The honourable member for Chaffey having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: The member for Chaffey is very anxious—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: And I just say this—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I am on my feet. The member for Chaffey is leaving for 10 minutes and your contribution needs to be back on track.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: I just say this to members opposite, particularly the member for Chaffey: we would be delighted to have the opposition come on a trip if they would show some bipartisanship, some good-spirited—

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Hartley will be joining him shortly.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —and not use it as an opportunity to score political points, and I fear that is exactly what they will do; the criticisms they have been making about our initiative suggests that is exactly what they will do. I know there are some opposite who would not do that, but there are others who would, and the people who have launched these attacks are two examples of those who would.

I would just say this, that there are two things that should be bipartisan in this place: our trade and investment initiatives, because that is about jobs, jobs, jobs, particularly for farmers. The second thing is our approach to defence industries, because nothing is more important than winning those ships and submarines, and you should be on our side on both of those issues. If you are bipartisan, we will involve you in everything. It will be close—

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! You are not in your place.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —and it will be intimate, but if you score political points it will go nowhere. I get back to the simple point, getting to the substance of the criticisms raised. I am with minister Robb. I am with placing South Australian officers within Austrade as part of the Team Australia approach, which is exactly what we have done in China and India and what we plan to do in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

I am not with actions condemned by the Hartleys report; that is, setting up expensive overseas offices that drain money out of our trade and export initiatives into setting up people and offices and infrastructure all around the world that effectively do nothing and who lose favour when the regime, or the government, changes and who have been proven to be ineffective—just read the Hartleys report—but that is what the Leader of the Opposition wants to reinstitute. He has now committed the opposition to it; it is one of their policies. It will cost millions, probably tens of millions, and all of it will go away from initiatives that actually create jobs, jobs, jobs.

So, we have a very considered strategy for promoting jobs and investment through trade and investment. Look at it carefully. I urge you to be bipartisan about it because it is going to affect farmers in Schubert, farmers in Mount Gambier, farmers in every country district, because that is who we are batting for. It does not matter who is in government, we should all want the same thing for them.

Time expired.