China-Australia Free Trade Agreement

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (14:45): My question is to the Minister for Investment and Trade. Given that China is South Australia's largest trading partner, does the minister support a motion passed at the 2015 Labor National Conference to oppose the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:46): The government is doing more than any government in recent decades to promote trade with China. We have been very supportive of efforts by the current federal government to promote trade with Japan, South Korea and China, including support for free trade agreements. However, you have to wait and see how these free trade agreements are going to unfold. I am optimistic that they will be very good for the state because they have already delivered billions of dollars worth of benefits to the state. So, we made it very clear that we support any measure which promotes further trading engagement with China. China is our biggest trading partner and we look forward to seeing further growth in our trade outcomes with China.