Hon Dee Margetts questions the basis of WA Cabinet's support for the AUSFTA, specifically regarding reliance on Commonwealth analysis. Hon Kim Chance denies sole reliance and cites WA's commitment to trade development.

AnsweredQoN 374Legislative Council
Asked
1 June 2004
Portfolio
Leader of the House representing the Premier

QuestionView source ↗

At a recent public hearing that the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties held in Perth for its inquiry into the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement on 23 April 2004, Ms Petrice Judge, the representative for the Western Australian Government, said that the WA Cabinet provided in-principle support for the development of the free trade agreement, believing that free trade offers substantial benefits for nations on the basis of potential gains identified in analysis by the Commonwealth and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She said also that the Western Australian Government welcomed the move towards liberalisation in the agreement but that moves towards liberalisation in some areas had been disappointingly small. (1) Will the Leader of the House confirm that Cabinet provided in-principle support for the US free trade agreement based only on the analysis supplied by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade? (2) In which policies is the Western Australian Government’s belief asserted that free trade offers substantial benefits for nations? Hon KIM CHANCE

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) None of the Western Australian Government’s decisions regarding the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement was based on only an analysis supplied by the commonwealth Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, nor did Mrs Judge’s response imply that they were. (2) The Western Australian Government’s commitment to developing new trading partners and strengthening the profile of Western Australia in world markets underpins its policies in this area.
(1) Will the Leader of the House confirm that Cabinet provided in-principle support for the US free trade agreement based only on the analysis supplied by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade? (2) In which policies is the Western Australian Government’s belief asserted that free trade offers substantial benefits for nations? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) None of the Western Australian Government’s decisions regarding the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement was based on only an analysis supplied by the commonwealth Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, nor did Mrs Judge’s response imply that they were. (2) The Western Australian Government’s commitment to developing new trading partners and strengthening the profile of Western Australia in world markets underpins its policies in this area.
(2) In which policies is the Western Australian Government’s belief asserted that free trade offers substantial benefits for nations? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) None of the Western Australian Government’s decisions regarding the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement was based on only an analysis supplied by the commonwealth Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, nor did Mrs Judge’s response imply that they were. (2) The Western Australian Government’s commitment to developing new trading partners and strengthening the profile of Western Australia in world markets underpins its policies in this area.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) None of the Western Australian Government’s decisions regarding the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement was based on only an analysis supplied by the commonwealth Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, nor did Mrs Judge’s response imply that they were. (2) The Western Australian Government’s commitment to developing new trading partners and strengthening the profile of Western Australia in world markets underpins its policies in this area.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) None of the Western Australian Government’s decisions regarding the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement was based on only an analysis supplied by the commonwealth Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, nor did Mrs Judge’s response imply that they were. (2) The Western Australian Government’s commitment to developing new trading partners and strengthening the profile of Western Australia in world markets underpins its policies in this area.
(1) None of the Western Australian Government’s decisions regarding the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement was based on only an analysis supplied by the commonwealth Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, nor did Mrs Judge’s response imply that they were. (2) The Western Australian Government’s commitment to developing new trading partners and strengthening the profile of Western Australia in world markets underpins its policies in this area.
(2) The Western Australian Government’s commitment to developing new trading partners and strengthening the profile of Western Australia in world markets underpins its policies in this area.

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