PRIME MINISTER:
This is a tremendous deal for Australia, it';s particularly beneficial for the motor manufacturing industry, the wine industry.
DOBELL:
What does it mean for the wine industry?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there';s a 15 per cent tariff advantage immediately and it';s going to substantially boost wine exports into Thailand. Thailand is a nation of 62 million people. It';s increasingly middle class and it';s one of the examples I believe of a huge expansion opportunity for the Australian wine industry in Asia.
DOBELL:
Why does Thailand look at Australia differently to some of the other ASEANs that are still talking about Australia not belonging?
PRIME MINISTER:
In the end Graeme what matters is what you get by way of outcomes. I mean the rhetoric and the flummery and so forth fills newspapers and occupies time in television and radio interviews, but what really matters in an economic relationship between two countries is what you actually agree on. And we have delivered a Free Trade Agreement with Singapore, an ASEAN country. We';ve now completed a Free Trade Agreement with Thailand. I mean we are getting on with the job of delivering trade and economic outcomes with countries in Asia.
DOBELL:
The ASEANs shut Australia out of their effort to do a free trade zone…
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah but hang on, we';ve just negotiated a Free Trade Agreement with the fastest growing ASEAN country. I mean let';s get real about…
DOBELL:
So we';re going to build a new door, we';re not going to worry about having that door shut on us?
PRIME MINISTER:
We';re worried about outcomes. Now once again you';re reporting generalised statements. I';m commenting upon factual outcomes which have delivered real economic benefits, jobs for South Australians in particular, the motor manufacturing opportunities, the wine industry, skim milk powder concessions, an outcome for the Australian dairy industry which is a little better than they';d hoped for, some improvement for beef and pork exports, the removal of tariffs on other primary products. I mean this is not just manufactured goods and wine. It';s also across the board in some areas for primary producers. So people can make generalised comments, they can give television grabs, they can make fairly generalised remarks but in the end what counts is what you achieve, and what we have achieved today is a real economic advance, a very important economic agreement between two countries.
DOBELL:
So Australia should perhaps ignore even a friend like Goh Chok Tong who';s been musing about the fact that many in East Asia don';t accept Australia, Australia should be focusing on the money in the bank?
PRIME MINISTER:
Australia should be focusing on realities and outcomes, not on statements made or allegedly made by people. And we are delivering outcomes and this is a Free Trade Agreement between Australia and a country of 62 million people that is rapidly growing its economy and is giving us dramatically increased access in areas that are important to Australia, and in the case of motor cars an area where some years ago we had our problems. But through the combination of this export expansion and things like the introduction of the GST, which has been or enormous benefit to the Australian motor manufacturing industry, we';re now building a whole new future for that industry and that will benefit an area of Australia that five or 10 years ago worried about its future.
DOBELL:
Prime Minister, thanks for talking to AM.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]