I begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather today, and pay my respects to their elders past and present.
Thank you for the invitation to address you today.
They say this country was built on the sheep's back.
And our farmers - each of you major employers - are the backbone of that.
The farmers who feed our nation, take risks, back themselves, sustain jobs and communities and turn hard work into world-class products.
Today, consumers from Dubai to Boston, and London to Bangkok, are clamouring for Australian beef, lamb, dairy, rock lobsters, Riesling, potatoes and mangoes.
Every new market we open gives Australian farmers and producers another opportunity to turn their hard work into prosperity, while making a huge contribution to our economy.
Australian agriculture is built on ambition. And its future depends on our willingness to pursue opportunity wherever it lies.
That is why diversification is a cornerstone of this government's trade agenda.
In a world of increasing geopolitical uncertainty, when protectionism and tariffs are barriers to growth, we cannot afford to close ourselves to the world.
We are a proud trading nation and we need to send a message to the world that we are open for business.
This means deepening our relationships with established trading partners and opening doors to new ones.
It means striking new deals, including making the terms of existing trade flows more certain.
Working with our partners to build resilient supply chains.
Promoting our world-class agricultural technologies.
And it means creating opportunities for sectors of our economy.
As a member of the Trade Diversification Network, you know the government is working to get more businesses and more exporters into more markets across the globe.
We implemented the $55 million Accessing New Markets Initiative to work with industry, and give Australian exporters more customers and more choices.
I want to acknowledge Su McCluskey who is using her role as Australian Agriculture Trade Diversification Representative to fly the flag for Australian farmers.
Su's role is exactly what ANMI was designed for - Government working hand in hand with industry to fund programs that work for you, not us dictating how you should do your jobs.
This has paid dividends, with more than 1,000 Australian exporters set to generate over $218 million in trade export sales since ANMI began just one year ago.
When we concluded negotiations on the EU Free Trade Agreement in March this year, I made the offer to Hamish that I would come and speak with you in this forum and I am glad I have an opportunity to do so.
I want to speak with you honestly and openly about why I would like you to reconsider your position on the EU Free Trade Agreement.
But before I come to that, I want to start by telling you a bit about myself.
This year, I have been in public life for fifty years.
I graduated from the University of Adelaide in law, and later worked for the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association for many years.
And eighteen years ago, I was elected to the Senate to represent my home of South Australia.
Around this time I moved back to the Clare Valley where my family first settled in the 1860s, about an hour and a half from Adelaide, where I live today in the wine and farming community of Sevenhill.
And almost five years ago, I became the Minister for Trade and Tourism.
My first job as Minister was to restore the $20 billion worth of trade we had lost with China under the Morrison Coalition government, much of which was deeply felt by you in this room.
Bit by bit I succeeded in doing just that, restoring access for barley, hay, beef, crayfish and many other products in the process.
In this time, I have met with my Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao fifteen times and built a constructive relationship with him.
However, it was the lessons we learned from this experience that have taught us not to put all our eggs in one basket.
So while the Morrison Government negotiated our new agreements with the UK and India, it was left to me to get them through the Senate.
Now both of those agreements are delivering for Australian exporters.
In 2023, we also finalised a new trade agreement with the UAE, the Woolies warehouse of the Middle East where our exporters can deliver product all over the region.
We've also redoubled our engagement with Southeast Asia, a region that Australia used to fly over on their way to China, Japan and Korea.
The result of these efforts is that, in turbulent times for international trade, last year we recorded a record $1.37 trillion worth of two-way trade.
This is up $300 billion since we came to office in 2022.
There has been a significant increase for beef too, going from $9 billion to $18 billion last year - another record.
But we are not resting on our laurels and that's why our new Free Trade Agreement with the European Union is so important.
Right now, we have 30 different trade agreements, this agreement with the EU is not just one agreement.
This agreement should be viewed as new 27 trade agreements, with the 27 countries that make up the EU.
In one fell swoop almost doubling the number of countries with who we have a free trade agreement.
So that is 27 new countries we will be doing business with in the second largest economy in the world, with 450 million middle class consumers ready to buy the best of Australian exports.
This agreement will provide $10 billion in new trade in its first year, rising very quickly to $30 billion.
And why else is this agreement so important to Australia?
Right now, the world is now falling into two camps.
Those who believe in free and fair trade, and those who believe in tariffs and a return to protectionism.
Our government believes the way to increase our prosperity is to unequivocally support free and fair trade.
This agreement took ten years to negotiate.
It started with Liberal Ministers Mathias Cormann then Simon Birmingham, who both strongly support this agreement.
It was then taken up by Dan Tehan who could not get it over the line.
As you are aware, I rejected two offers from the Europeans and committed that without a better offer than the one I received in Osaka in 2023, I would walk away.
Some of you were with me in Osaka when I walked away. You will know what I walked away from.
The deal we agreed in March is a significant improvement on the offer I walked away from.
My job as Trade Minister is to make an assessment in the national interest, across all sectors and for the entire Australian economy.
And my assessment is that this is a good deal for Australia.
I know beef and lamb wanted more.
I view my job as getting you as much as is possible.
But I want to be honest with you, there were no additional concessions to be gotten out of the Europeans on market access.
You asked me to get you $3 billion worth of new trade, well we got $2 billion.
Matt Canavan, the new Shadow Minister for Trade, says we should renegotiate this deal and this is the alternative.
Let me make it clear - there is no renegotiation here.
If there was more to get, I would have secured it.
The choice is to accept $10 billion worth of trade, moving quickly to $30 billion and with another go on red meat in five years, or to reject the deal and get nothing.
It is simple fact that right now, we only get approximately 4,000 tonnes of beef into Europe.
Without this deal, that is where it will stay - forever.
My job as Australia's Trade Minister is not to represent one industry, but all Australian industries.
I am confident that 95% of Australian industry supports this agreement, including much of agriculture, the BCA, ACCI, Australian Industry Group, the Minerals Council and many others.
I cannot in good conscience say that just because one sector didn't get everything they wanted, the entire economy gets nothing.
That's not in the national interest and it's not fair.
Senator Canavan says reject this deal and he'll get you a better one.
Really?
He won't.
Take a look at the TV right now.
Protests in France, far right governments in Germany, protestors occupying the Colosseum in Italy.
There is no way Matt Canavan can get a better deal.
Just today, he was asked what more could he get - he would not and could not say!
Don't send a boy on a man's mission, as my mum used to say.
The choice here is not between our agreement and a better agreement in five years' time.
The choice is our agreement or no agreement.
Can I repeat that.
The choice is between our agreement or no agreement.
We all want politicians who tell us the hard truths.
I'm telling you anyone who says there is a better deal, is pulling your leg. They are leading you down a dead end.
I'd like you to support this deal.
But as mum used to say, if you can't say something nice about a person don't say anything at all.
So if you can't support the government, then my ask to you is not oppose it outright.
Many of you have come to me privately and said you'd like to use the new access this agreement provides to Europe.
You don't have to export under this agreement, but please don't block it for those who can and want to.
This is our one and only chance to get our foot in the European door and we cannot miss it.
And finally.
The world is watching us right now.
As I said earlier, the world is falling into two camps - free and fair trade, or protectionism and tariffs.
Australia's prosperity relies on free and fair trade. If we reject this agreement, the rest of the world will notice and it will encourage protectionism everywhere.
Overnight, Costa Rica pulled out of the CPTPP citing protectionism - we must send a message to the world that we support free and fair trade by passing this agreement.
Thank you
