Labor secures employment safeguards in China free trade deal

Labor Leader Bryan Green has congratulated Bill Shorten and Penny Wong on striking a better deal for Australians on the China Free Trade Agreement.

“The safeguards that Labor has been able to secure will help protect Australian jobs while strengthening our ties with China,” Mr Green said.

“This is exactly the sort of balanced position we argued for in Parliament while the Liberals tried to wedge us into a black or white position.

“Luckily for Australia, Trade Minister Andrew Robb showed greater maturity than Will Hodgman has.

“Labour market testing is a crucial part of any trade agreement and I commend Bill Shorten and Penny Wong for putting the issue on the negotiating table.

“What we are left with is a deal that will be good for the economy without jeopardising local employment.

“The Liberals here would have signed the deal without even thinking about the consequences for Tasmanian jobs.

“As we saw during the refurbishment of the Spirits, the Liberal Government doesn’t mind if hundreds of jobs go off-shore.

“On the other hand, Labor will always stand up for local workers to make sure as much money as possible stays in Tasmania.”
Bryan Green MP Labor Leader