The Federal Government has been criticised for failing to secure a fair outcome for Australian farmers in the Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement, with opposition agricultural spokespeople warning the deal favours Europe at the expense of local producers.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture Darren Chester challenged Agriculture Minister Julie Collins in Federal Parliament to confirm whether the agreement was a “good
deal” for farmers. He said the minister’s response was evasive.
“Minister Julie Collins was given the chance to say whether it was a ‘good deal’ for Australian farmers and all we heard was waffle, spin and Labor Party talking points,” Mr Chester said.
He said industry peak bodies
had described the agreement as
“subpar”, “disingenuous”, “genuinely
bewildering”, “unfair” and a “one-way deal”
that sold out farmers.
“It’s an extremely poor outcome for the overwhelming majority of Australian producers, and the Labor Government should’ve walked away from a bad
deal,” he said.
Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture Sam Birrell said the deal locked in weak outcomes for key farming sectors and made excessive concessions on geographic indications, undermining Australian producers.
“Australia is a trading nation, and our
agricultural sector is highly export-exposed,” Mr Birrell said.
“We support an ambitious agreement with the European Union because regional jobs and farmgate returns depend on strong access to international markets.”
Dairy producers were among those hardest hit, Mr Birrell said. Australian farmers face restrictions on using widely recognised product names such as feta, gruyere and romano, while tariffs on imported European cheese will be removed.
He also raised concerns about the wine sector, saying the term “Prosecco” will
be phased out for exports over the next
10 years, imposing significant transition costs on local producers.
Mr Chester said the Coalition’s record demonstrated its ability to negotiate strong trade outcomes, noting 13 of Australia’s 16 free trade agreements were delivered under Coalition governments. He contrasted
the deal with the UK trade agreement,
which he said set a benchmark Labor had failed to meet.
“We support trade that opens markets, reduces tariffs and creates jobs,” he said.
“But we will not support a deal that trades away the interests of Australian producers, particularly on red meat access and geographic indications, just so Labor can claim a headline.”
