QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator FARRELL (South Australia—Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:38): I thank Senator Ciccone for his first supplementary question. The governments of both persuasions have built Australia's trade network, because it is firmly in our national interests. The value of our trade network is immense.

Last year we did a record $1.3 trillion worth of trade with the world. But now some in this parliament are threatening to put all that at risk by threatening to block the EU free-trade agreement, denying our producers access to a $30 trillion market, denying them access to stronger returns and putting Australian jobs and businesses at risk, ignoring the interests of the people they claim to represent in our regions just to chase votes that they are losing.

This is not leadership; that's putting populism over policy. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Ciccone, second supplementary.