Truss welcomes NFF fight for free and fair trade

The Australian Government Minister for Trade, Warren Truss, today welcomed the National Farmers’ Federation’s (NFF) commitment to an ambitious outcome in the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Doha Round of negotiations.

Mr Truss, who was speaking at the launch of the NFF’s Trade Policy Brief, said that the Australian Government and farmers continue to fight for free and fair trade.

An outcome to the Doha Round that delivers real commercial opportunities remains the Howard/Vaile Government’s top trade policy priority. Today, the NFF recommitted its support to achieve significant new export market opportunities and reduce distortions in global markets through agricultural trade reform in the WTO.

The NFF acknowledges that farmers will get higher prices for their products if a successful outcome is reached. The Australian Government and the NFF see eye-to-eye on what has to be done in trade reform – unlike the Federal Labor Party, who seem to run hot and cold on the issue.

In July 2006, the now Leader of the Opposition, Kevin Rudd, baldly stated Doha was ‘as dead as a dodo and we need to accept that fact’. (Media Release 25/7/06)

Mr Rudd’s pessimism was reversed just four months later. The Opposition Leader changed his mind - ‘it is for this government to join every element of its diplomatic and political energies towards the successful conclusion of the Doha multilateral round’. (ANZCERTA Reading 28/11/06)

In January this year, Mr Rudd stated the obvious, saying ‘the Government’s top trade priority should be reviving the Doha round of world trade talks’.

What a coincidence! The Government’s number one priority now and for many years has been a successful conclusion to the Doha Round.

In February, the Shadow spokesman for Trade, Simon Crean, compounded the issue, indicating he might already support a low ambition outcome by highlighting that the Australian Government ‘has got to pursue an outcome at all costs’. (AFR 20/02/07)

The Australian Government maintains that only an ambitious outcome will offer major benefits to Australian exporters, particularly in services and agriculture.

With or without Doha, we will also be fighting hard to get the best result for Australian exporters through bilateral and regional deals - but unlike Mr Rudd, we won’t risk the livelihoods of farmers for political gain. The Australian Government is working with groups such as the NFF to push for trade reform.

Media Inquiries: Minister Truss' office 02 6277 7420