MARIUS BENSON: To look at the new prospects of agreement on what all sides agree is the critical trade deal I am joined by the Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment Penny Wong. Penny Wong good morning.
SENATOR PENNY WONG, LEADER OF THE OPPOSTION IN THE SENATE: Good morning, good to be with you.
BENSON: Are you confident there is now the prospect of genuine discussions?
WONG: Well, we certainly welcome the change in attitude and position from the Government and their willingness to have a constructive dialogue. It is certainly a different approach to the one that has been taken over many months. We have been saying for months now we support a China Free Trade Agreement, we support a deeper economic and political relationship with China, but we do have concerns about aspects of the agreement that was negotiated. We put forward very important safeguards, safeguards that are fundamentally focused on local jobs, Australian jobs and a number of other issues. Reasonable, sensible safeguards. And I am very pleased that Andrew Robb has made sure that the Government is in a position to have a constructive dialogue.
BENSON: The rhetoric has been pretty fierce, the attack from the Government on Labor has stopped not far short, if it did stop short, of accusing Labor of racism and on your side you were arguing that the Government was disregarding the needs of local jobs. Is that all just going to be water under the bridge and you now resume or begin rational discussions?
WONG: Well, I certainly dont think the hurling of insults that we saw from the Government, particularly under Tony Abbott, was helpful. I think that trade is an area where bipartisan support is important. This is not the agreement we would have done were we in government. We think the Government did include aspects in this agreement, including access to the Australian labour market, that a Labor Government wouldnt have put in place. But we also understand how important this agreement is for jobs, for economic growth over the decades to come. So we want to be constructive, we put forward important safeguards and I would encourage the Government not only to have the dialogue but to agree to them so that we can get this agreement passed with the support of both parties of government.
BENSON: Malcolm Turnbull has been Prime Minister for going on for a month now. Do you believe there has been a substantial change from the time of Tony Abbott as evidenced by this or do you stay with the line Labor has pushing that different salesman, same message?
WONG: I do think many of the policies have continued and I think Tony Abbott got it right when he said nothing has changed when it comes to a whole range of policies whether it is the approach on cuts to health and education or other matters. But I do acknowledge Andrew Robb has been able to get the Government to sit down at the table with Labor, which is something we have been arguing for for a long time. I do welcome the change position from the Government when it comes to the China Free Trade Agreement.
BENSON: Change the leader you do change the Government?
WONG: Well, at the moment I dont think you have changed the Government, but the Government has recognised the reality that hurling insults is not going to get the Free Trade Agreement through the Parliament. I think they have also recognised the reality that the number of criticisms that, not just Labor but the community have been making are real. This has been the problem. We had a sense of denial for a long time from the Government that there was any issue with some of the aspects of the agreement, in particular access to the Australian labour market. So I am pleased that the Government finally has seen that there is a national interest imperative to having a discussion with the alternative government.
BENSON: The Governments position is that your concerns are in fact baseless, that if they go along with legislation it is simply redundant in their view, it is completely unnecessary.
WONG: It is unsurprising they would say that but certainly that wasnt their position a few months ago. Look it is quite simply this - the Government put in place a trade agreement that allowed much greater access to the Australian labour market for workers under the trade agreement; the Government put in place a trade agreement which set up a work agreement stream called Investment Facilitation Arrangements where there was not a clear requirement to ensure jobs could be offered to Australian workers first. Now I think people do support temporary skilled migration but they support it on the basis that it fills skills shortages, that it addresses skills shortages, it isnt a mechanism to bypass opportunities for Australians. We think our safeguards do fix that when it comes to IFAs. We would ask the Government to pick up those safeguards.
BENSON: The ACTU President Ged Kearney doesnt think much of the safeguards, shes said the amendments to the Migration Act wont fix any of the problems. Is that a genuine concern amongst unions or are they just try to keep you honest at the negotiating table?
WONG: You would probably have to ask them that. I have been completely upfront. There are many aspects of this agreement a Labor Government wouldnt have negotiated but we are in a position where we want real safeguards, and I think many workers will welcome the safeguards Labor has put in place. Of course a Labor Government would have done things differently. But I think we recognise that not only will workers welcome these safeguards but I think many workers will also welcome the opportunities of a greater trading relationship with China. And the Labor Party has to ensure we both get an agreement that enables more exports of goods and services, which means more jobs, but we get an agreement that safeguards local jobs.
BENSON: Penny Wong thank you very much.
WONG: Good to speak with you.