AUSTRALIA
by making sure that it actually assists our agencies in addressing the foreign threat and by insisting on necessary safeguards for the fundamental democratic freedoms which characterise our society and our way of life in Australia. We pursued these improvements in the committee, where Labor members and senators closely scrutinised the bill and tested the case for each new measure. In cooperation with the government members of the committee, we achieved 36 substantial recommendations for improvements to the Bill.” In particular, the committee recommended that sunset provisions in the legislation be reduced so that parliamentary scrutiny of key measures could be reviewed at an earlier time. Mr Dreyfuss noted that “control orders, preventative detention orders and the ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) questioning and detention powers are each extraordinary and unprecedented powers introduced in the mid 2000s in response to the September 11 attacks and the Bali and London bombings.’ Mr Dreyfuss indicated that ‘the intelligence committee after robust debate concluded that these provisions should sunset two years after the next federal election. It is right and proper that the next parliament be obliged to grapple with these powers again and to decide on its own account whether their continuation is justified. Labor was not satisfied that the case had been made for a much more lengthy extension. It is not acceptable that these extraordinary powers could operate for two decades without being properly reviewed by the parliament.”
Customs Amendment (Japan- Australia Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Act 2014 The Customs Amendment (Japan- Australia Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Act gives effect to Australia‘s obligation under Chapter 3 of
the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement to enable goods that satisfy new rules of origin when imported into Australia from Japan to be given preferential rates of duty.
The Minister for Trade and Investment,
the Hon. Andrew Robb, MP, noted that “the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement is a comprehensive agreement that substantially liberalises trade with Japan and creates significant new commercial opportunities for Australian businesses. Japan is Australia’s second largest trading partner and the implementation of this agreement will significantly boost Australia’s position in this major market, as this agreement is the most liberalising trade agreement Japan has ever concluded.”
Mr Robb advised that “more than 97 % of Australia’s exports to Japan will receive preferential access or enter duty-free on full implementation of the agreement.’ At the same time, ‘goods imported into Australia that meet the rules of origin, implemented through this bill, will be entitled to claim preferential tariff treatment in accordance with the agreement.”
The Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment, Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, firstly noted that the opposition supported the legislation. She noted that Labor has a long history of supporting stronger trading relationships with our region and the world. She stated that “we in the Labor Party support trade because it is all about ensuring that we can try to create more jobs and build higher living standards for Australians. Fundamentally, Australia – given the size of our market – will not be able to do that if we sell only to ourselves. So it is a fundamental economic principle, and that has guided this trade liberalisation approach of the Labor Party over successive Labor governments.” Senator Wong discussed the adequacy and initial reaction of the free trade
agreement commenting that “I regret to say that this criterion of high-quality agreements has, certainly from the perspective of many stakeholders, been downgraded by the government in its quest to stage signing ceremonies to coincide with bilateral visits. Many Australian industries have expressed concern about being short-changed. We know that the announcement of the Japanese agreement was timed to ensure that it coincided with the Prime Minister’s visit to Japan in April.” Senator Wong noted that “the public record records the disappointment of the National Farmers’ Federation and of key export sectors. The NFF said the agreement falls far short of the mark and it does not improve, or marginally improves, market access and terms of trade for a number of sectors, such as dairy, sugar, grains, pork and rice. Australian Pork Limited described the agreement as ‘substandard’ and a ‘missed opportunity’. Canegrowers called it ‘yet another kick in the guts for Aussie cane growers’. The Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia was extremely disappointed. The Dairy Industry Association of Australia observed, ‘Our words fell upon deaf ears.’ One wonders, given the litany of views that I have outlined from these industries, where the National Party was when these complaints were being raised with the government.” Senator Wong concluded that “Australia and Japan have a strong and stable relationship, a good relationship, and one that we do want to continue to build on. We welcome the opportunities provided by this agreement to further build on that relationship and to grow our economies and domestic employment. Labor do believe that the Abbott government should have secured a more comprehensive and inclusive agreement with Japan. However, we do recognise the agreement provides benefits to Australia. We support the bills before the chamber, which are critical to the implementation of the agreement.”
The Parliamentarian | 2015: Issue One | 65
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