I will be in Japan, Korea and China. In all three countries I will be taking with me a delegation of very senior business leaders but in China I will be joined by the Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb who will, himself, be leading to Australia Week in China a delegation of over 700 business people from every part of the Australian business community.
What we need to understand is that trade means jobs. The wealth and the prosperity of our country – the growth and the future of our country – depends upon more and freer trade. That is what this trip really is all about – it is about more and freer trade because trade means jobs.
I should also say a word about the Western Australian Senate election today.
The only reason that the carbon tax and the mining tax are still in place is because Labor and the Greens are blocking the repeal legislation in the Senate.
If you want to get rid of these anti-Western Australian taxes, today, you have got to vote for candidates who are absolutely committed, unambiguously committed, to getting rid of these anti-Western Australian taxes and that means voting Liberal.
Send a strong message to Canberra. Send a strong message to the Labor Party – you can’t say one thing in Perth and do the opposite in Canberra.
That’s my plea.
This election in Western Australia does matter. It is important for your future. It is important for the future of our country.
[ends]