The Abbott Governments arrogance was on display this morning when the Treasurer Joe Hockey slapped down a Liberal backbencher for questioning the free trade agreement being negotiated with China.
NSW Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan has raised concerns about the quality of the trade deal and its impact on Australian industry and jobs.
Mr Hockeys response that Senator Heffernan did not know what was in the Australia-China free trade agreement exposes the lack of transparency in the Governments approach to trade policy.
When even Government backbenchers are kept in the dark about trade deals, business and the public will understandably be concerned about the quality of the agreements.
Boosting trade drives economic growth, creates jobs and improves living standards.
That is why it is essential that the Government negotiates high-quality agreements with Australias trading partners which genuinely boost export opportunities.
A more transparent approach is needed to build community support for trade liberalisation and ensure that the agreements negotiated are in Australias national interest.
Labor is concerned that the FTA being negotiated with China may fail to deliver any significant improvements in market access for Australian agricultural sectors like the sugar industry.
The silence of the Nationals on this concern has been deafening, proving that the junior Coalition partners may be lions in the bush but are lambs in the Cabinet room.